$200 billion arms outlay OK'd by Senate panel

June 30, 1983

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a record $200 billion defense bill for 1984. It includes President Reagan's full request of $6.2 billion for the B-1 bomber and most of what he asked for MX nuclear missiles.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D) of Massachusetts accused the administration of ''budgetary trickery'' in abruptly disclosing that an additional $2.1 billion had been found in the budget for the B-1 bomber. Texas Republican John Tower, chairman of the committee, denied any trickery and said he had been trying for two months to get the administration to confirm that reduced inflation had produced the additional money for defense.

The defense bill now must win full Senate approval.