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4525907
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Newport News, VA, February 10, 1966
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4525907
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Newport News, VA, February 10, 1966
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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Poverty programs
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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1966-02-28
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1966
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1966-02-01
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1966
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The original documents are located in Box D19, folder "Newport News, VA, February 10,
1966" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R.
Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D19 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
Newport News, Va. Feb. 10, 1966
For release at time speech is made
EXCERPTS
As President Johnson directs the war, Republicans support a position of
strength against Communist aggression. We will oppose those Democrats in the
Congress who support a policy of appeasement,a weakness which led to World War II.
Republicans have long supported bipartisanship in foreign policy, and most
especially at a time when the lives of Americans are at stake. But, bipartisanship
is a two-way affair. It does not involve accepting decisions without first demand-
ing a full, frank and public disclosure of the facts upon which those decisions
are made.
As the late Senator Arthur Vandenberg once said, a fundamental prerequisite
for a truly acceptable bipartisan policy is that "total information must be made
available to Congress and the country and that Congress must completely explore
and approve the measures by which the President's policy is to be implemented."
From the public viewpoint, there has not been this completeness of disclosure
during the Viet Nam struggle,
The American people were not told in 1964 of the Hanoi peace overture. They
were not fully advised of the degree and duration of the buildup of United States
participation in the Viet Nam ground war.
Not until the 1966 State of the Union Message was there full, official
Presidential indication of the distressing possibility that shedding American
blood in Viet Nam could well last "for years."
Whereas Republican Congressional leaders were invited to meet with the President
prior to his decision to resume bombing of North Viet Nam, there was not the same
degree of communication when the President decided to order an extended pause in
such bombings.
As Senator Vandenberg said upon another occasion: "We"ll stand by you on the
crash landings but would like to be consulted at the take-offe"
*
*
*
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
-more-
Excerpts from a speech by Congressman Gerald R. Ford, House Republican Leader
The management of the "war on poverty" is a national disgrace. Republicans
are working very hard to expose the mistakes, the poor administration, the
political bossism.
I am not opposed to the idea of helping the poor to help themselves, but I
am critical of the haphazard way the program is being managed by a Democrat
Administration.
Unless there is prompt Congressional action to insure the soundness of the
poverty program, the plan will continue to be mired in confusion and eventually
be pushed aside by the economic demands of the Viet Nam war.
*
*
*
These are a few stunning examples of poor management of the war on poverty:
In Newport, Rhode Island, enrollees in the Youth Corps included the sons
of a surgeon, businessmen, an executive, a school official, a lawyer, and
Naval officers.
The New York Times reported that in our largest city the Harlem Youth Project
had overspent $2 million in funds contributed to the program by taxpayers.
The director of the Camp Breckinridge, Ky., Job Corps training center was
fired when it was learned his wife and the wives of 51 other middle management
employees were on the payroll. The camp had 350 staff members for the 358
trainees.
It was disclosed in Omaha, Nebraska, that 90 percent of the youths employed
in a neighborhood poverty project were not from low-income families.
*
*
*
Republicans believe in moving ahead toward equality for all citizens,
improving government and its services, increasing jobs and production without
inflation. We believe that each State should determine its own kind of
Legislature and its own laws.
*
*
*
These are the hours of destiny and Republicans are deeply concerned with the
preservation of our Republic.
The problem of keeping our Republic strikes at the very heart of every
American's future and welfare. It is a problem demanding the immediate and
undivided attention of Americans.