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Scottish Rite Dinner, Burlington, VT, March 7, 1970
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4526259
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Scottish Rite Dinner, Burlington, VT, March 7, 1970
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The original documents are located in Box D28, folder "Scottish Rite Dinner, Burlington,
VT, March 7, 1970" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Distribution : 20 Copies Mr. Ford
only
a Office Copy
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SATURDAY--
March 7, 1970
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U. S.
House of Representatives, at the Scottish Rite Dinner, Burlington, Vt.
Reform is the watchword of the Nixon Administration and hopefully that of
the Congress as America moves into the decade of the 70's.
President Nixon has sent Congress some of the most far-reaching reforms ever
laid before the American people.
If all of the Nixon programs are adopted by the Congress, we will see a
greater reform of our political and social system than at any time since the first
administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The proposed reforms are timely and urgent. They are part and parcel of a
comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating the most critical problems facing this
country.
That strategy is directed toward five objectives: Ending the Vietnam War;
making the streets safe again for the American people; curbing inflation; reforming
and ultimately ending the draft; and giving the Federal government back to the
people.
The top priority is, of course, to end the war in Vietnam. And while this
does not require direct congressional participation in planning and strategy, it
does require the support of Congress as well as the support of the American people.
I believe President Nixon has that support, now that he has reversed the trend of
our manpower commitment. Mr. Nixon is extricating us from that tragic war, and he
is doing so in a manner that will produce a sound settlement of the conflict.
Meantime, I think it is safe to say that the President's policy of Vietnamizing the
war will result in taking U.S. forces in Vietnam below the 200,000 mark in another
year or so from the present ceiling of 434,000.
We can all thank President Nixon for clearly establishing that government
policies, on this or any other issue, cannot be made or dictated in the streets.
I think the American people recognize that slogans cannot be the basis for the
responsible exercise of power.
President Nixon is exercising power responsibly and wisely -- his reform
programs are the best evidence of that.
(more)
QERALD FORD LIBRARY
Digitized from Box D28 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
He has moved to reform the exercise of both our international and domestic
power through a transformation of our policies. Already he has accomplished much.
Much more remains to be accomplished -- reforms that require the cooperation of the
Congress.
The President has reformed American foreign policy. He has clothed it with
a new spirit of partnership -- partnership with our free world allies -- and with
a new spirit of willingness to negotiate in the interest of world peace. In his
approach to Communist nations, the President has adopted a policy tuned to their
individually nationalistic interests. And he has sought to defuse the nuclear arms
race. In his approach to our allies, he is helping those who help themselves.
Overall, the Nixon policy is one of crisis prevention.
President Nixon has managed to bring order to the handling of our foreign
policy, and he has brought order to this country. In short, he has brought order
to the Presidency.
Let us look at the great array of reforms before us -- the first major over-
haul of the welfare system in a generation; a strengthened and broadened anti-crime
program to make our streets safe again; draft reform to make the selective service
system as fair as possible until we can establish a truly all-volunteer army;
expenditure reform which reorders our priorities while bringing inflation under
control; postal reform which will create a postal service authority with broad
modernization powers; poverty program reform which keeps the Office of Economic
Opportunity as an innovative agency but spins off successful experimental programs
to old-line Government departments; manpower training reform which consolidates
Federal manpower training programs; tax reform which takes millions of poor citizens
off the taxrolls, reduces taxes for millions of other low-income Americans, gives
a long-deserved break to middle-income individuals, and prevents the most wealthy
from escaping taxation; a New Federalism which provides the states and cities with
an increasing slice of Federal income tax revenue and gives them new vigor as solvers
of problems closest to them; a decentralization of Government authority which places
greater reliance on local officials and greater power in the hands of the people;
a re-examination of Federal aid to schools aimed at achieving quality of education
and equality of educational opportunity; revamping of our labor law for improved
handling of national emergency labor disputes; a crusade to rid ourselves of air
and water pollution and restore to our land the beauty it once knew.
We have already achieved some of these reforms and others are on the way.
We have instituted a lottery system as part of the draft. An all-volunteer Army
should be our next goal. We have accomplished major tax reforms along with tax
relief. We have reformed the anti-poverty program to make it truly innovative,
giving the operating programs to the old-line departments. The House Ways and Means
Committee has formally approved the President's plan to substitute Workfare for
Welfare.
The Workfare program -- the major overhaul of the welfare system -- points
up President Nixon's common-sense approach to the crisis of our cities. The accent
is on the solid American ethic of working for a living. The President's approach
calls for a hand up instead of a handout. It is based on the idea that a man never
stands so tall as when he stands on his own two feet.
Through all of the Nixon reforms runs a challenge -- to make the Seventies
a
time when we as a people will live our lives better
will improve the quality
of our lives.
# # #
Distribution : 20 copies Mr. Ford
only
noffice Copy
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SATURDAY--
March 7, 1970
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U. S.
House of Representatives, at the Scottish Rite Dinner, Burlington, Vt.
Reform is the watchword of the Nixon Administration and hopefully that of
the Congress as America moves into the decade of the 70's.
President Nixon has sent Congress some of the most far-reaching reforms ever
laid before the American people.
If all of the Nixon programs are adopted by the Congress, we will see a
greater reform of our political and social system than at any time since the first
administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The proposed reforms are timely and urgent. They are part and parcel of a
comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating the most critical problems facing this
country.
That strategy is directed toward five objectives: Ending the Vietnam War;
making the streets safe again for the American people; curbing inflation; reforming
and ultimately ending the draft; and giving the Federal government back to the
people.
The top priority is, of course, to end the war in Vietnam. And while this
does not require direct congressional participation in planning and strategy, it
does require the support of Congress as well as the support of the American people.
I believe President Nixon has that support, now that he has reversed the trend of
our manpower commitment. Mr. Nixon is extricating us from that tragic war, and he
is doing so in a manner that will produce a sound settlement of the conflict.
Meantime, I think it is safe to say that the President's policy of Vietnamizing the
war will result in taking U.S. forces in Vietnam below the 200,000 mark in another
year or so from the present ceiling of 434,000.
We can all thank President Nixon for clearly establishing that government
policies, on this or any other issue, cannot be made or dictated in the streets.
I think the American people recognize that slogans cannot be the basis for the
responsible exercise of power.
President Nixon is exercising power responsibly and wisely - --- his reform
programs are the best evidence of that.
(more)
DERALD FORD LIBRARY
-2-
He has moved to reform the exercise of both our international and domestic
power through a transformation of our policies. Already he has accomplished much.
Much more remains to be accomplished -- reforms that require the cooperation of the
Congress.
The President has reformed American foreign policy. He has clothed it with
a new spirit of partnership -- partnership with our free world allies -- and with
a new spirit of willingness to negotiate in the interest of world peace. In his
approach to Communist nations, the President has adopted a policy tuned to their
individually nationalistic interests. And he has sought to defuse the nuclear arms
race. In his approach to our allies, he is helping those who help themselves.
Overall, the Nixon policy is one of crisis prevention.
President Nixon has managed to bring order to the handling of our foreign
policy, and he has brought order to this country. In short, he has brought order
to the Presidency.
Let us look at the great array of reforms before us -- the first major over-
haul of the welfare system in a generation; a strengthened and broadened anti-crime
program to make our streets safe again; draft reform to make the selective service
system as fair as possible until we can establish a truly all-volunteer army;
expenditure reform which reorders our priorities while bringing inflation under
control; postal reform which will create a postal service authority with broad
modernization powers; poverty program reform which keeps the Office of Economic
Opportunity as an innovative agency but spins off successful experimental programs
to old-line Government departments; manpower training reform which consolidates
Federal manpower training programs; tax reform which takes millions of poor citizens
off the taxrolls, reduces taxes for millions of other low-income Americans, gives
a long-deserved break to middle-income individuals, and prevents the most wealthy
from escaping taxation; a New Federalism which provides the states and cities with
an increasing slice of Federal income tax revenue and gives them new vigor as solvers
of problems closest to them; a decentralization of Government authority which places
greater reliance on local officials and greater power in the hands of the people;
a re-examination of Federal aid to schools aimed at achieving quality of education
and equality of educational opportunity; revamping of our labor law for improved
handling of national emergency labor disputes; a crusade to rid ourselves of air
and water pollution and restore to our land the beauty it once knew.
We have already achieved some of these reforms and others are on the way.
We have instituted a lottery system as part of the draft. An all-volunteer Army
should be our next goal. We have accomplished major tax reforms along with tax
relief. We have reformed the anti-poverty program to make it truly innovative,
giving the operating programs to the old-line departments. The House Ways and Means
Committee has formally approved the President's plan to substitute Workfare for
Welfare.
The Workfare program -- the major overhaul of the welfare system -- points
up President Nixon's common-sense approach to the crisis of our cities. The accent
is on the solid American ethic of working for a living. The President's approach
calls for a hand up instead of a handout. It is based on the idea that a man never
stands so tall as when he stands on his own two feet.
Through all of the Nixon reforms runs a challenge -- to make the Seventies
a time when we as a people will live our lives better
will improve the quality
of our lives.
###