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Ford Newsletter, April-May 1971
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Ford Newsletter, April-May 1971
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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ACTION. 7/1/1971-4/4/1994
Children
Compulsory national service
Federal aid to education
Legislation
Military pay
Public works
Supersonic transport planes
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WASHINGTON REVIEW
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
NOT PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
April 5, 1971
A GIANT LEAP TOWARD ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE
The House Thursday took a giant leap toward an all-volunteer armed force by approving a
$2.7 billion increase in basic military pay and allowances in a bill extending the draft law
until July 1, 1973.
The bill extends the draft for two years but we could get down to zero draft calls long
before that if the increased pay and allowances prove attractive enough,
It is difficult to predict what the impact will be but the House-approved bill makes
military pay truly competitive with civilian pay for the first time. This is a tremendous
step forward.
I have long favored the establishment of an all-volunteer force--an end to the draft. I
think it is feasible and practicable. But it must be phased in for national security reasons.
The bill approved by the House moves toward an all-volunteer force in two ways-by increas-
ing military pay and allowances and by reducing armed force strength levels by roughly 300,000,
to a new overall level of 2.5 million by July 1, 1972.
The Administration has been steadily reducing the size of our armed forces. When they
reach the projected 2.5 million as of July 1, 1972, our strength levels will have dropped by
more than 1 million men beginning with fiscal year 1969. At the 2.5 million level, our
military will be at a force level below that of pre-Vietnam days when it was 2,687,000 at
the end of fiscal year 1964.
THE KEY VOTE
The most crucial vote on the draft bill came when a motion was made to extend the draft
for only one year--until July 1, 1972.
That move failed on a record teller vote of 198 to 200. I was among the 200 voting against
the amendment. I felt that extending the draft for only one year while phasing into an
all-volunteer force posed a danger to our national security.
The logic of it is really inescapable. If we can get down to zero draft calls in one year
because enlistments jump, all well and good. But we are gambling with our national security
if we arbitrarily set an end to the draft for one year from this July and enlistments fall far
short.
It is true that the Gates Commission, appointed by the President to study the question of
an all-volunteer force, recommended in favor of a one-year extension of the draft. But most
of the witnesses before the House Armed Services Committee testified that an extension of only
one year was unwise. They pointed out that roughly 50 per cent of present enlistments are
draft-motivated.
We cannot get an all-volunteer force just by wishful thinking. Experience will tell.
I OPPOSE ENDING MINISTERIAL EXEMPTIONS
The House Armed Services Committee had written into the draft bill a provision which
abolished draft exemptions for divinity students--those studying to become ministers or
priests or rabbis. I felt very strongly that this was a mistake--that it would dry up our
supply of men who minister to our spiritual needs both in civilian life and in the military
(more)
Fortunately, a majority of the House members present and voting agreed with me. By at
division vote of 114 to 29, the House adopted an amendment continuing the present draft
exemption for divinity students.
OTHER KEY PROVISIONS IN THE ACT
One of the most important provisions in the bill would give the President authority to end
the deferment of undergraduate college students.
The President has said that if this provision is enacted into law he will promptly issue
an executive order eliminating student deferments, retroactive to April 23, 1970.
Young men who had undergraduate deferments prior to April 23, 1970, would continue to be
eligible for those deferments during their undergraduate years, according to the President's
plans.
The great majority of witnesses before the House Armed Services Committee took the position
that student deferments are a serious inequity in our nation's social policies. Occupational
and paternity deferments were eliminated as of April 23, 1970.
The American Council on Education, which represents 1,447 institutions of higher learning,
reversed itself on college deferments and concluded they should be discontinued.
The Council's board of directors said they originally supported college deferments on the
basis that they were necessary to maintain "a steady flow of highly educated young people
through the colleges and into the civilian as well as the military economy." Now, said the
board, "the available pool of draft eligible men is so large as compared with the numbers
likely to be called into service that a termination of student deferments cannot seriously
affect the regular flow of highly educated manpower.
Other vital provisions:
*Provide for a Uniform National Call, so that men drawing certain draft numbers will be
equally subject to call no matter where they live.
*Require conscientious objectors to serve three years in civilian capacities.
*Lower the eligibility age for service on a draft board to 18 years, from 30.
*"Retire" draft board members at age 65 and after 15 years service instead of the
present 75 years of age and 25 years of service.
*Provide that the membership on draft boards should reflect the economic and sociological
background of the community served.
*Adjust the statute of limitations to permit prosecution until age 31 of individuals
failing to register for the draft.
MAKING THE MILITARY ATTRACTIVE
What pleased me most about the pay raises in the draft bill is that the sharpest increases
in pay go to the lowest ranks. The pay boosts run about 100 per cent for the two lowest
enlisted grades of E-1 and E-2.
Under the bill, pay increases would go to approximately 1.4 million enlisted men and
50,000 officers on active duty. The same basic percentage raises would go to 518,000 enlisted
men and 6,500 officers in National Guard and Reserve units.
MAKING ATTACKS ON POLICE A FEDERAL CRIME
I have cosponsored 8 bill which would make it a
IT'S A FACT :
Federal crime to assault, injure or kill state
and local law enforcement officers.
Federal Individual Income Tax Liability
For a Married Couple with Two Children
It is time for Congress to act on this legisla-
tion because of increasing attacks on our law
WAGE INCOME
INCOME TAX
officers and the nationwide implications of
assaults and conspiracies.
1960
1971
In 1969 there were 17 assaults nationally for
$5,000
$420
$206
every 100 officers, up from 15.8 per cent in 1968
and 13.3 per cent in 1967. Since 1962, such
$10,000
$1,372
$1,019
assaults have increased by 144 per cent. There
was a record high of 68 law enforcement officers
$15,000
$2,486
$2,018
killed by criminal action in 1969, as compared
with 64 in 1968. This brought the toll of such
$20,000
$3,800
$3,110
tragic deaths to 561 for the years 1960 through
1969.
# # #
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
INOT PRINTED A) GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
10
April 11, 1971
HOUSE APPROVES SCHOOL MONEY BILL
The House of Representatives Wednesday approved a $4.8 billion school money bill for
fiscal 1971-72 after turning down an attempt to add $728 million to it.
The Fiscal 1972 bill, which funds the various school aid programs, the U.S. Office of
Education, and related agencies, is a quarter of a billion dollars larger than the funding
for the current fiscal year. I voted for the bill.
The amounts in the bill are, in effect, a net increase of $131 million over those
requested by the President. However, a complete comparison between the President's requests
and the amounts recommended by the House Appropriations Committee is impossible because the
bill as adopted is based on existing law. The President has based his dollar requests on
changes he had recommended, notably in the financing of college student loans. These changes
have not yet been acted upon by the House Education and Labor Committee.
The amendment which would have added $728 million to the $4.8 billion appropriation
bill was defeated 192 to 187.
I voted against the amendment because I felt the House Appropriations Committee had
carefully weighed all the demands on the U.S. Treasury against each other and had come up
with a. well-balanced bill. I considered the fact that the committee (six Democrats and
four Republicans) had listened to 141 witnesses and had taken nearly 2,500 pages of testimony
before arriving at its decisions on amounts to be appropriated.
The bill approved by the House is generous in a number of respects. It adds $5 million
over the President's budget request for school library resources, $20 million for educational
equipment, $2 million for bilingual education, $167 million for aid to impacted schools,
$5 million for the handicapped, $89,130,000 for vocational education, and $288 million for
National Defense Education Act loans (the President had requested $400 million for his pro-
posed National Student Loan Association, not yet acted upon).
I was most impressed by the fact that the bill provides a $305.9 million increase over
the fiscal 1971 appropriation for college student assistance.
I COSPONSOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT BILL
I have cosponsored a bipartisan bill known as the "Comprehensive Child Development Act
of 1971," aimed at helping all children.
This bill builds on the lessons of the Head Start Program. It will permit states and
communities throughout the country to organize the particular services needed by their
residents. In some areas, this might mean expansion of Head Start. In other areas, day care
services might be the most pressing need. Still other areas might want to emphasize after-
school programs for children of working mothers.
Fees geared to family income would be charged those families able to pay. Economically
disadvantaged children would receive free services.
Besides basic child development, the bill would authorize services needed to support the
expansion of early-childhood programs.
At present, federal funds are available only for programs for disadvantaged children.
Children who do not come from disadvantaged families usually are not allowed to participate,
even on a paying basis.
(more)
NEW INTERNS JOIN MY STAFF
Two fine young people from the Fifth Congressional District--Gail Ann Raiman of East
Grand Rapids and William E. Jagger of Belding--have joined my Washington staff as interns and
will be with me until nearly mid-June.
Gail is a daughter of Dr. and Mrs. R. J. Raiman, 2629 Elmwood Drive S.E., East Grand
Rapids. She is a sophomore at Kalamazoo College, where she is majoring in philosophy. Her
internship in my office is part of a career service program. Under that program, she will
study for six months next year at the University of Strasbourg.
Bill is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Orval G. Jagger, 304 South Front St., Belding. A junior
at James Madison College, Michigan State University, Bill is majoring in ethnic and religious
inter-group relations. He plans to enter the ministry.
FEDERAL IMPACT HUGE ON KENT AND IONIA COUNTIES
The Office of Economic Opportunity has put together a booklet which details Federal
outlays in terms of the impact they have on counties throughout the United States. The
impact on Kent and Ionia Counties is tremendous, far greater than most people would suppose.
Total Federal moneys flowing into Kent County in fiscal 1970 came to $197,553,831. The
largest sums emanated from:
"The Agriculture Department, $2,304,956;
"The Defense Department, $33,063,000, including $24,764,000 in military prime supply
contracts;
"The Health, Education and Welfare Department, $92,247,248, including $55,097,999 in
Social Security benefits;
"The Housing and Urban Development Department, $10,347,757, including $5,085,633 for
urban renewal programs, $2,223,000 for Model Cities and $1,210,000 for college
housing;
"The Labor Department, $1,140,712, including $506,084 for Job Opportunities in the
Business Sector and $507,840 for the Neighborhood Youth Corps program;
*The Transportation Department, $1,140,696, including $385,339 for highway planning
and construction;
*The Veterans Administration, $12,271,452, including $4,468,201 for veterans disability
compensation.
For Ionia County the fiscal 1970 total was $21,326,211. The largest amounts came from:
The Agriculture Department, $2,576,385;
"The Health, Education and Welfare Department, $10,989,844, including $6,369,657 in
Social Security benefits;
The Housing and Urban Development Department, $444,997, all for urban renewal programs;
"The Transportation Department, $1,259,747, including $708,702 for highway studies and
$544,692 for highway planning and construction;
*The Veterans Administration, $1,475,198, including $492,325 for veterans disability
compensation.
RURAL MUIR, CEDAR SPRINGS GET MAIL SERVICE
Rural Muir and Cedar Springs residents are among the 172,200 individuals who have been
provided with mail delivery service under a special order issued by Postmaster General Winton
M. Blount.
The order applies to persons served out of about 17,000 first, second or third class post
offices that do not have city delivery service. Where they live more than a half mile away
from the post office they have been eligible for rural delivery service all along. Under
Blount's latest order, rural delivery service now is available to families living only a
quarter mile away.
The order benefits 370 individuals in Muir (100 families) and 70 individuals served by
the Cedar Springs Post Office (19 families).
NO NEWSLETTER NEXT WEEK
The Congress has begun its Easter recess, so there will be no newsletter next week.
# # #
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
PRINTED at GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
April 26, 1971
HOUSE VOTES ACCELERATED PUBLIC WORKS
The House last Thursday voted to set in motion a. $2 billion two-year program of acceler-
ated public works, separate and apart from the normal public works which Congress approves
each year.
The program is part of an overall area redevelopment bill which calls for spending
$5,495,300,000 through fiscal 1978.
The other parts of the bill extend the Economic Development Act for two years and the
Appalachian Regional Development Act for four years.
Extending the Economic Development Act and the Appalachian Development Act provoked no
particular controversy. The big fight was over the so-called Public Works Acceleration Act,
which is a revival of a program originally launched in 1962.
Under the accelerated public works program, the Federal Government would contribute up to
80 per cent (or, in extreme cases 100 per cent) of the cost of local public improvement projects
in areas of high unemployment.
An attempt was made to send the bill back to the House Public Works Committee and knock
out the accelerated public works program. That move, which I supported, failed 128 to 262.
The bill then was approved 319 to 67. The motion to eliminate the accelerated public works
program having failed, I voted against the bill on final passage.
I opposed the so-called public works acceleration program because our experience under the
1962 law clearly showed that a program of this type does not accomplish what its sponsors claim
for it. The program launched under the 1962 Act did not have any real impact for 2 1/2 years.
By then the economy did not need stimulating; it needed cooling off. Even at its heighth, the
previous accelerated public works program reduced unemployment only by 1/10th of 1 per cent.
In addition, the new unemployment we are suffering today is not like that of 1962. Many of
those now jobless had worked in aerospace, defense and other technical industries. They would
not be helped by a public works program.
The President's fiscal 1972 budget already provides for a $1.4 billion increase in regular
public works spending over the present fiscal year. In addition, the President has asked for
$2 billion a year in waste treatment plant construction for each of the next three fiscal
years--double the amount appropriated this fiscal year.
It seems to me the great bulk of the newly
unemployed will not be helped by accelerated
public works legislation.
The real hope for bringing down unemployment
rests on the fact that the economy is growing
sharply due to currently expansive fiscal
and monetary policies.
The gross national product--total value of
the nation's goods and services--grew by
$28.5 billion during the first three months
of this year. That was the biggest increase
for any three-month period on record.
We can look for unemployment to go down as
the economy continues to expand and more
jobs become available.
LIBRAR
PRESIDENTIAL PARTY I was a guest ON the Presidential helicopter when President
Mixon and I attended the recent Republican Governors conference in Williamsburg, Va.
(over)
A MOST HEARTENING DEVELOPMENT
Last week I attended a meeting of Republican congressional leaders at the White House,
where we were briefed on the state of the economy.
I was encouraged not only by the great leap
forward in the gross national product, but by
the progress we are making in fighting
inflation.
The rise in the cost of living was 2.7 per cent
at an annual rate during the first three months
of this year.
That was less than half of the cost of living
rise recorded in 1970 and 1969. The cost of
living increased 5.5 per cent last year and
6.1 per cent the year before.
At the same time that the cost of living rise
was slowing down, retail sales were up, and
automobile sales were setting records.
It is interesting to note that economist Paul
A. Samuelson, a Nobel Prize winner, last Thurs-
HOPEFUL ABOUT REVENUE SHARING -- Nine Kent County commissioners and county
day told the Woman's National Democratic Club
officials met with me recently to discuss prospects for Federal revenue sharing
with the counties and other units 06 local government. Board Chairman John
in Washington that he expects a period of
Brewer, seated at my left, enlivers the proceedings with a little joke.
"uninterrupted economic gains" from now until
at least election day 1972.
HOUSE PASSES MARITIME BILLS
The House last week approved 8. $507,650,000 fiscal 1972 maritime authorization bill and an
$80 million supplemental maritime authorization for fiscal 1971. The 1972 bill authorizes
appropriations for the next fiscal year to acquire, construct and reconstruct merchant marine
vessels, to pay construction-differential and operating-differential subsidies, and to cover
other necessary expenses. The 1971 supplemental was needed as an operating-differential catchup
this fiscal year. I voted for both bills.
The 1972 maritime bill is the start of President Nixon's 10-year program to rebuild the
merchant marine at the rate of 30 ships a year. In fiscal 1972 we will build only 22 ships but
we should reach a level of 30 ships by 1973 and maintain that rate throughout the Seventies to
provide a total of nearly 300 new ships. It is encouraging that as we rebuild our merchant
marine, operating and construction subsidies will go down.
END-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS BRING CALLERS
About a dozen Vietnam Veterans Against The War stopped in my office last week. They told
me why they favor immediate withdrawal. I explained why I favor gradual withdrawal, aimed at
peace which will not SOW the seeds of future wars. The group included Dan Manville, 479 Price
Street, Ionia.
Two young men from Grand Rapids, Paul Silvers and Bob Vanden Bos, visited me with a peace
plea. They were part of a group calling itself the Michigan Christian College Coalition for
Peace. Two Ottawa Hills High School students came down with the Christian College group as
observers. They are Leon Sompolinsky, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sompolinsky, 1775 Silver, S.E.,
and Mark Stavenga, son of Mr. and Mrs. Renne Stavenga, 1340 Hutchinson, S.E. They will be writ-
ing papers for their high school classes on what they observe here. I and Henry Sompolinsky,
Leon's father, played football together at South High. Henry also is a former professional
boxer.
PRESSURE FOR US-131 ACTION
A group of State legislators will join me in meeting April 28 in my office with Francis
Turner, Federal highway administrator. We hope to get Turner to put pressure on State highway
officials to speed up construction of a divided four-lane US-131 north from Howard City to
Cadillac. We will do whatever we can to expedite the freeway and get rid of the old "killer"
highway.
VISIT TO DISTRICT
I will be in the district Saturday, May 1. That evening I will be speaking before the
students at Grace Bible College.
WASHINGTON
REVIEW
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
NOT
PRINTED
AT
GOVERNMENT
-
May 10, 1971
JOBS FOR VETERANS EFFORT PLANNED
I will be in Grand Rapids May 14 to speak at a
luncheon scheduled by Mayor Robert Boelens as
the kickoff of a jobs-for-veterans drive.
Former Congressman William H. Ayres, special
assistant to the chairman of the National Jobs
for Veterans Committee, will be at the luncheon
to outline the program of the federal govern-
ment.
Mayor Boelens has invited to the luncheon
representatives of business, labor, the news
media, the Veterans Administration, the
Michigan Employment Security Commission,
veterans organizations, and the mayors of
other communities in the Grand Rapids area.
It is my hope that this task force meeting will
result in the formation of a steering committee
HOPE FOR US-131 SPEEDUP There is greater hope for a speedup in construction of a
which will spark a joint effort by Grand Rapids
four-lane divided US-131 north from Howard city to a Linhup with 1-75 as the result 06
this meeting in my Washington office. Here 1 confer with Federal Highway Administrator
area leaders to do everything possible to place
Francis L. Turner, holding the other edge of a "fact sheet," we are flanked by, left
returning Kent and Ionia County veterans in
to right, US-131 Association executive secretary Gordon Huizenga, State Reps. Donald
Holbrook and Michael Dively, Congressman Elford A. Cederberg, my brother State Rep.
jobs. I am aware that jobs are scarce but this
Thomas G. Ford Sa., State Sen. John F. Teepp, US-131 Association president Robert W.
Ransem, and wase Osborne of the Federal Highway Administration,
is all the more reason why we should take
special pains to steer our vets into them.
NO JUSTIFICATION FOR DISRUPTION
The right to petition the government peacefully for redress of grievances is guaranteed
the American people by the United States Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution
protects freedom of speech.
But the disruptive tactics engaged in last week by 8. limited number of extremist demon-
strators in the Nation's capital could not be tolerated. Acts of this kind are violations of
the law and must be dealt with firmly. At times the behavior of the demonstrators was
absolutely disgraceful. At least one demonstrator walked around in the nude at the Capitol.
Others sought to raise the Viet Cong flag over our Capitol Building.
No American has the right to trample on the rights of others by shouting in the public
galleries of the United States Senate, sitting in at congressional or senatorial offices,
blocking entrances to buildings to keep employes from reaching their jobs, and tying up traffic
by obstructing the streets. The extremists gathered here last week also punctured some tires,
let the air out of other tires, overturned vehicles, and pushed light cars into the street to
halt traffic.
Persons who engaged in such activity are law-breakers and should be treated as such.
Fortunately the Washington police handled the situation most skillfully. There was relatively
little violence and few injuries.
The extremists circulated what they call "The Joint Treaty of Peace Between the People of
the United States and the People of South Vietnam and North Vietnam." This so-called "treaty"
demands "immediate and total withdrawal" of U.S. forces from Vietnam but says nothing about the
withdrawal of North Vietnamese forces from South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It is B. treaty
based on terms identical with those put forward by the Communist side in Paris for two years.
It is acceptable to no segment of the people of South Vietnam except the Viet Cong.
(over)
HOUSE PASSES VARIOUS BILLS
The House has passed bills which would:
Increase railroad retirement benefits by 10 per cent, retroactive to last Jan. 1
Extend the Flammable Fabrics Act for one year and authorize a fiscal 1972 appropriation
of $4 million for such activities
Increase the authorization for studies to be made by the National Commission on
Marihuana and Drug Abuse from $1 million to $4 million
Railroad retirement benefits were raised to bring them into line with Social Security
benefits, which were increased recently. This is general practice on the part of Congress. A
commission now is studying the railroad retirement system and will make recommendations to
Congress on what must be done for proper future funding of retirement benefits.
The Flammable Fabrics Act, originally enacted in 1953, applies to all wearing apparel and
to home and office interior furnishings. The Department of Commerce sets the standards. The
Federal Trade Commission enforces the Act. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare
analyzes the injuries resulting from fabric fires. Estimates are that 3,000 to 5,000 deaths
and from 150,000 to 250,000 injuries result each year from burns associated with flammable
fabrics. There is also a related financial loss of more than $250 million.
The National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse began work at the end of March. It
will carry out a one-year study of all aspects of marihuana use and will report its findings
by March 1972. The Commission also will make a two-year study of the causes of drug abuse
and will report the results of that study by March 1973.
All of the bills listed except the railroad retirement benefits measure were passed by
voice vote. The railroad bill was approved on a 379 to o roll call.
The House also passed and sent to the White House three other bills-bills that:
Create 8. new rural telephone bank, providing additional non-government financing up
to $30 million a year for continued expansion of rural phone systems
Extend until May 1, 1972, the President's authority to impose wage, price and rent
controls
Make 90 post offices additional passport application centers
The telephone bank bill makes loans available at favorable rates to corporations or public
bodies unable to get adequate private financing to meet rural telephone needs. The ultimate
aim is to substitute private financing at market rates for the present federal subsidy in the
form of 2 per cent loans.
President Nixon has no present intention of using the wage and price control authority.
The rise in the cost of living was 2.7 per cent, at an annual rate, during the first three
months of 1971 as compared with 5.5 per cent in 1970 and 6.1 per cent in 1969. This is
encouraging.
I COSPONSOR HEALTH PARTNERSHIP ACT
I have cosponsored with Rep. John W. Byrnes of Wisconsin a bill to improve and expand our
health insurance system.
The bill is known as the National Health Insurance Partnership Act. It would require all
employers--exclusive of the government and religious organizations--to provide all of their
workers with health insurance on a cost-
sharing basis.
During the first 2 1/2 years, the employer
would pay 65 per cent of the premiums and
the employe 35 per cent. Thereafter, the
employer would pay 75 per cent and the
employe 25 per cent.
The bill also would provide protection
against catastrophic illness to the extent
of $50,000.
My bill is similar to the Administration's
health measure except that it seeks to
lessen the burden for the small businessman
who might otherwise lay off some of his
BIPARTISAN WHITE HOUSE MEETING President Nixon periodically calls bach Democratic
employes.
and Republican congressional leaders to the White House to brief them on some subject.
Here, 1 am seated at the President's night as he points coward Sen. Robert P. Griffin
06 Michigan, Senate GOP whip, in voicing a view. Seated with Griffin are, left, House
Speaker care Albert and Senate Democratic Whip Robert Byrd. Senate GOP leader Hugh
Scute is at far right.
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
(NOT PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE)
May 17, 1971
HOUSE VOTES TO REVIVE SST
America's proposed supersonic transport (SST) may yet get off the ground. The House last
week voted 201 to 197 to revive development of the plane, and the Senate now must render its
judgment on a reconsideration of the project.
I strongly supported bringing the SST back to life because I feel that vital national inter-
ests are involved.
Since March 18, when the House voted to cancel the SST, some 37,000 workers involved in the
project have lost their jobs.
In recent days, speculators have attacked the dollar in international money markets in the
hope of making huge profits. The dollar is weak internationally because the United States
continues to suffer a severe balance of payments deficit.
These two developments brought the House what I described as "a moment of truth" on the SST
question.
By reviving the SST, the Congress could restore jobs to 37,000 people. By contrast, the
House will vote this week on authorizing a $4.9 million program to train people for jobs which do
not now exist. By building the SST, the Congress could maintain the supremacy of the United
States as a builder and exporter of commercial airliners--thus improving our balance of payments
situation and helping to strengthen the dollar.
We are in danger of losing our lead in the field of commercial aircraft production and
sales. If we do not build the SST, we are going to lose that lead to the British and French and
the Russians.
The SST program is good for America. It is the kind of program we ought to continue in the
national interest. It would be a mistake not to revive this program because to kill it is to
hamper the technological progress this Nation needs to move ahead.
The money the Federal Government is putting into SST development is an investment, not a
subsidy. Once 300 of these planes are sold, we will recoup our investment in royalties. Every
plane sold after that will return the government a profit.
U.S. TROOP STRENGTH IN VIETNAM
600
The Federal Government puts rough-
(THOUSANDS OF TROOPS)
600
ly $400 million a year into the
President
President
President
543,400
President
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
536,100
Nixon
merchant marine as a subsidy. We
do so because the merchant marine
500
485,500
500
is essential to America's national
474,400
security and economic well-being.
400
385,500
400
When the facts are considered, we
335,800
must conclude that SST development
300
also is essential--and the invest-
284,000
MAY1,1971
ment in it is a wise one.
200
The British and French are test-
184,300
184,000
PROPOSED
flying their supersonic airliner,
DEC.1,1971
the Concorde, and the Russian
100
100
supersonic transport now is for
sale.
23,300
11,300
16,300
900
3200
0
0
The American SST is going to be a
1961
62
'63
64
65
99,
'67
'68
'69
70
71
Source: U.S. Dept. of Defense
much better plane than the
Concorde and the Russian plane,
ENDING U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM This graph dramatically depicts how President Nixon is ending U.S. involve-
ment on Vietnam atch his program 06 steady troop withdrawals. The President has kept every promise he has made to the
the TU-144, and so the airlines
American people on Vietnam.
(over)
will buy our plane in preference
to the British-French and Russian supersonic airliners when our SST is offered for sale in 1978.
TWO SST TEST MODELS VERSUS NOTHING
The real question before the House last Wednesday was whether the Federal Government was
going to throw away more than a billion dollars or invest an additional $392 million and wind up
with two SST test models.
The United States has already invested $864 million in SST development. The second supple-
mental appropriation bill, which was before the House, contained $85,330,000 to help pay the
contract cancellation costs. Other cancellation costs would bring the total to $155,800,000--so
that with the previous investment of $864 million this would be $1,020,000,000 down the drain
with nothing to show for it.
The vote came on a move to put the $85.3 million into continued work on SST development
instead of using it for contract cancellation. This money, plus an additional $300-million-plus,
would give us the two SST test models.
House Speaker Carl Albert, Democrat of Oklahoma, declared: "In view of the state of the
art, the development of the supersonic aircraft, the investment we have made, and the potentials
in other nations, it seems to me that it would be foolish not to go on and produce two proto-
type airplanes."
Although the question does not loom large in congressional arguments against the SST any
longer, I would add the fact there is no valid evidence that SST operations would be environ-
mentally offensive.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION IMPORTANT
The second supplemental appropriation bill, for which I voted, was important for reasons
other than raising the SST question again.
The $6.8 billion bill contained $100 million extra for the fight against cancer and $100
million for summer youth jobs.
The President told the American people in his State of the Union Message last Jan. 22 that
he would step up the fight against cancer. He moved to do this last week with the extra funds.
The additional $100 million brings the total for cancer research to some $330 million. I fully
endorse this action.
I also strongly supported the Appropriations Committee recommendation of 8. $100 million
outlay for summer youth jobs. We hope to put 250,000 young people to work this summer, as
compared with 212,000 last year.
I PRESENT EUROPEAN STUDY SCHOLARSHIP
Last Saturday I presented 8. $1,000 scholarship to Miss Mary Shutich of Grand Rapids on
behalf of the American Institute for Foreign Study.
This scholarship will cover Mary's tuition fees for a program of summer study in Europe and
will include medical insurance and a bit of pocket money. The scholarship award does not
include travel expenses.
This is the second year that I have sponsored this scholarship, and I was very pleased to
do SO. Mary is a most worthy recipient.
Mary was chosen from among all interested Kent and Ionia County high school students by a
panel of five local school superintendents. A daughter of Robert J. Shutich, 715 Graceland,
N.E., Mary is a junior at Catholic Central High School. Mary works after school at a nursing
home, Pilgrim Manor.
In applying for the scholarship, Mary said she was interested in traveling to Europe
because she wants to know people and "to show people in other lands how great and wonderful it
is to be an American.'
A NEW INTERN JOINS MY STAFF
Linda DeRuyter, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus F. DeRuyter, 935 Jennette, N.W., is
interning as a member of my Washington staff during the month of May. Linda is an April
graduate of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, where she majored in secondary education,
history and social studies. She plans to teach and to work toward a master's degree.
REWIEW
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Kent and Ionia Counties
JERRY FORD
(NOT PRINTED At GOVERNMENT EXPENSE)
May 31, 1971
HOUSE ENDORSES VOLUNTEERS REORGANIZATION PLAN
The House of Representatives last week endorsed President Nixon's first reorganization
plan of the 92nd Congress-a move to bring seven or more federally-sponsored volunteer organi-
zations together under a new umbrella agency called Action.
The seven organizations initially to be consolidated in Action are Volunteers in Service
to America (VISTA), now in the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Service Corps of Retired
Executives (SCORE) and the Active Corps of Executives (ACE), both now in the Small Business
Administration, Foster Grandparents and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), both now
in the Health-Education-Welfare Department, the Office of Volunteer Action and the Peace Corps.
What the House did was to reject, 131 to 224, a resolution
DEFENSE AND HUMAN RESOURCE
OUTLAYS
which would have killed the reorganization plan. I voted
AS A PERCENT OF
against the resolution. I think the reorganization plan is
%
TOTAL BUDGET OUTLAYS
a great improvement over existing arrangements. It should
60
lead to more effective use of volunteers in the many areas
where they may render service. The new program will promote
a free exchange of ideas and experiences between domestic and
50
overseas volunteers and permit easier movement of volunteers
DEFERE
from one organization to another. I have supported the various
volunteer programs from their inception. I believe they will
40
be strengthened by the reorganization.
The President intends later to send a bill to Congress to
RESOURCES
30
HUMAN
transfer the Teacher Corps to Action.
The President of the United Way of America, composed of the
community funds throughout the country, endorsed the reorgani-
20
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
zation plan. He believes the various volunteer organizations
REORDERING THE NATION'S PRIORITIES In fiscal year
should be brought together into one central organization. The
1971-60r the first time in 20 years-more Sederal funds were
President of the National Business League, composed of minority
spent on human resource programs than on defense. This crend
is continued 4.M. President Nixon's fiscal 1972 budget. What
businessmen, also favored the plan. He felt the present
this means is that proportionately more money can be used to
improve the quality 06 life in America and the world we live
activities of SCORE are not fully meeting the needs of his
or.
membership.
Action will provide fresh impetus for voluntary activities throughout the Nation and
overseas. While working through the existing programs, Action also will seek to develop
innovative new programs aimed at helping to solve America's problems.
GRAND RAPIDS J.O.B.S. HELP PLEDGED BY LABOR DEPARTMENT
Malcolm R. Lovell Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for Manpower, pledged to do everything
possible to straighten out problems encountered by a Grand Rapids consortium of businessmen
seeking to provide job training and employment under the Job Opportunities in the Business
Sector (JOBS) program of the National Alliance of Businessmen.
Lovell made the pledge at a meeting I set up last Thursday in the U.S. Capitol at the
request of Eugene Silveri, executive vice-president of the Greater Grand Rapids Chamber of
Commerce, and Richard Johnston, manager of the Grand Rapids consortium.
Johnston detailed how red tape had interfered with proper administration of the Grand
Rapids program and contended that delays in getting contract changes made had resulted in the
loss of 30 job training slots. Initial delays in obtaining Federal payments also had placed an
undue financial burden on the Chamber of Commerce, he said.
Lovell said he welcomed the information and would work to eliminate unnecessary red tape
in the future.
Others attending the meeting included Paul J. Fasser Jr., deputy assistant secretary and
manpower administrator, and Robert J. Brown, associate manpower administrator, both of the
Labor Department, Chamber of Commerce executives from various Michigan cities including
Kalamazoo, and Congressmen William Broomfield of Royal Oak, Marvin Esch of Ann Arbor, Edward
Hutchinson of Fennville, Guy Vander Jagt of Cadillac, Elford Cederberg of Bay City, John
Conyers of Detroit, and John Dingell of Detroit. Garry Brown of Schoolcraft was represented
by a staff assistant.
ESCH DISCUSSES MANPOWER SUBSTITUTE BILL
Congressman Esch discussed his comprehensive manpower training reform bill, an Administra-
tion measure, which he will offer as a substitute this week for a Public Service Employment
Bill sent to the House floor by the House Education and Labor Committee.
Lovell said "the administration of manpower programs today is a mess." Esch's bill, he
said, deals effectively with the problems involved.
Esch said his bill would provide local officials with Federal manpower funds with a
minimum of red tape. The decision-making, he said, would be on the local level, and thus the
kind of problems that Johnston complained of would be avoided.
The Education and Labor Committee bill would not reform existing manpower programs. It
would create a new program of 150,000 public service employment jobs funded at a cost of
$5 billion over a period of five years. That is an expensive cost per job ratio.
Said Esch: "Those of us who oppose this do so because public service employment is only
one component of an overall manpower program. It's part of our bill, too. But what we need is
overall manpower reform. Providing 150,000 jobs when there are 4.8 million unemployed in the
country doesn't give us the answer. We are at a turning point from the standpoint of our
manpower training programs. We believe they should be set up and administered at the local
level. Now we have 10,000 separate manpower training programs run from Washington, and it's
impossible to administer them properly."
Esch emphasized that no city would get less manpower money than at present, and some would
get more. The President, he said, has indicated the new program would be funded at the
$2 billion level instead of the present $1.6 billion.
MISS TURKENBURG NOW FULL-TIME IN DISTRICT
Miss Therese J. Turkenburg, who has been working part-time in my district office in Grand
Rapids, now has gone on full-time employment there.
Trix, as she is called, is 8. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William G. Turkenburg, 3110 Claystone
S.E. Her father is president of the Dutch Immigrant Society and is also on the Safety and
Training Committees of the Furniture Manufacturers Association.
Trix's full-time duties are those of secretary and caseworker. She spent January 1971 in
my Washington office. She was graduated from Calvin College on May 22, 1971, with a bachelor's
degree. She majored in sociology and political science.
NEW INTERN
Donald R. Eckberg, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Robert H. Eckberg, 1636
Lotus S.E., has joined my
Washington staff as an intern.
ISH D.C.
Don will be a junior next fall
at the University of Michigan,
where he is majoring in
sociology. He will be in my
Washington office until June 11.
VIETNAM LEVEL DROPS
The number of American troops in
South Vietnam has dropped to
259,300, the lowest level in
five years. At the present rate
of troop withdrawals we will be
down to 55,000 by Sept. 1, 1972,
or sooner.
you PAY FOR IT Vandalism in Washington, like these benches ripped up for fire rood, AXIA just a very small
part of the estimated $3 million bill which resulted from the "May Day Tribe's" attempt to shat down the government in
early May. The transporting 06 troops cost $431 alone. Metropolizan Washington police and U.S. Park Police put
in hundreds 06 hours of overtime. The Nation's capital was hard-hit economically, with hotels estimating their losses
as $ 50,000 and retail businesses reporting a 50 per cent drop in crade during disruption week.