Regan Sees Close House MX Votes : Indicates President Might Compromise on Defense Cuts

WASHINGTON —  White House Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan said Sunday that this week’s House votes on funding for the MX missile look “very, very close” and blamed the Democratic leadership for imperiling the future of the controversial 10-warhead weapon by unexpectedly whipping up a partisan campaign to kill it.

On a more conciliatory note, Regan indicated that the Administration might be willing to compromise with the Republican-controlled Senate Budget Committee on some cuts in defense expenditures, but he vowed not to let money for major weapons systems go on the chopping block.

Regan charged that “the House leadership, although they said it was not to be a partisan issue . . . have suddenly started lobbying against the MX. That’s made our job a lot more difficult in corralling the Democratic support we need to go with the Republicans in the House.”

Vote Set for Tuesday

Although it handily won approval in the Republican-controlled Senate last week to spend $1.5 billion for 21 of the missiles, the Reagan Administration has shown signs of increasing nervousness about whether the Democratic-run House will go along. A House vote on the MX package is scheduled for Tuesday, and another vote will be taken Thursday if the initial measure is passed.

MX opponents and backers agree that the House vote is likely to be close, with the missile’s fate probably hinging on the 15 to 20 members who so far have remained publicly undecided. House Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill Jr. (D-Mass.) said in a weekend interview with the Associated Press that MX opponents were waging an “uphill battle” but were closing the gap, and the Democratic leader predicted that the final vote will swing by no more than six votes either way.

O’Neill Criticized

Regan did not name names in his criticism of House Democrats, and it was unclear precisely to whom he was referring. O’Neill, although opposed to MX funding, has been criticized by members of his own party, who contend that he has done little to kill the missile, which critics charge is too costly and vulnerable to Soviet attack. Indeed, when House Democrats caucused last week to discuss the MX, O’Neill did not join in the debate, leaving the anti-MX effort mostly to the second echelon of party leaders in the chamber.

Despite Regan’s criticism, it was backing for the MX from another influential House Democrat, Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.), that helped the White House muster the support it needed last week when the funding proposal was passed by the Senate in a pair of 55-45 votes.

Over the weekend, the White House attempted to bolster its position by recalling Max M. Kampelman, the chief American negotiator at the recently resumed Geneva arms control talks with the Soviet Union, to lobby wavering congressmen. Regan said that Kampelman would meet at the White House today with Democratic and Republican House leaders to explain the Administration’s contention that it needs the MX as an important bargaining chip in the arms talks.

In an interview on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press,” Regan said that the Administration, which up to now has resisted cutting its proposed 1986 defense budget, was willing to compromise.

However, Regan insisted, “We’re not going to compromise on security; but, once we get beyond security, if there are methods by which we can achieve savings, either by elimination of waste or by stretching out the few things that are not necessary to our strategic or conventional weapons systems, perhaps we can cut back somewhat on that spending.”

‘Star Wars’ Cuts Sought

Military and budget critics contend that the only way to make a significant dent in military spending is to forgo or delay major programs such as the MX or the “Star Wars” space-based defense system. However, when pressed for specifics, Regan listed only munitions, food and oil as areas where the Pentagon could possibly afford to skimp a bit without risking national security.

Despite sharp differences with the Republican-run Senate Budget Committee about how to reduce a projected $200-billion-plus budget deficit next year, Regan predicted that the Administration and Congress eventually will agree to at least $50 billion in domestic and military spending cuts. The White House and top Republicans in the Senate last week set up working groups to explore ways to resolve the budget impasse. More meetings are set for this week.

On another matter, Regan said that the Administration would find a position for Raymond J. Donovan if the former labor secretary is acquitted of grand larceny and fraud charges filed against him in New York.

“There’ll probably be a suitable place for him in the Administration,” Regan said.

Replaced by Brock

Donovan resigned last week after being ordered by a state judge to stand trial. He was replaced by William E. Brock III, the Administration’s chief trade negotiator for the last four years.

Regan said that a trip by Mikhail S. Gorbachev to the opening of the next U.N. session in September might provide a chance for President Reagan to meet with the new Soviet leader. However, the White House chief of staff cautioned that a decision on such a summit was up to the Soviets.

“The ball’s in their court, they have to respond to us,” Regan said, referring to an invitation that the President extended to Gorbachev for such a meeting.

Although Reagan said last week that it was “high time” for such a summit, Regan sounded less eager for the meeting than the President. He warned that such a high-level meeting would be fruitless unless a realistic agenda were worked out ahead of time.