The Nation - News from March 11, 1988

President Reagan would veto any bill requiring him to tell Congress about all covert actions within 48 hours after they start, Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci said. Carlucci made the statement as a House Intelligence subcommittee continued hearings on a bill overhauling the procedure for White House cooperation with Capitol Hill on intelligence matters. Administration officials had suggested previously that a presidential veto of such legislation was likely, but Carlucci’s statement marked the first time a top Administration official had flatly promised a veto. The House bill and similar legislation in the Senate were a response to the Iran-Contra affair, with final action on the Senate bill likely next week.