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    "localId": "4525684",
    "label": "House Speech Hoover Commission, March 13, 1951",
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    "id": "4525684",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "House Speech Hoover Commission, March 13, 1951",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525684",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
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    "subjects": [
        "Government reorganization",
        "Independent regulatory commissions",
        "Legislation"
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    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642080/4525684.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D14, folder \"House Speech Hoover Commission,\nMarch 13, 1951\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the\nGerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box D14 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\n388\nMR. FORD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out the last word.\nMr. Chairman, this legislation, as all of us know, is an amend-\nment to the Reorganization Act of 1949, which was approved on June 20th\nof that year. Furthermore all of us also know that the Reorganization\nAct of 1949 was enacted for the sole purpose of effectuating the Hoover\nCommission recommendations.\nIt might be well for us to review the record in reference to the\nHoover Commission proposals. I have in my hand a report recently issued\nby the Citizens Committee for the Hoover Report. This report indicates that\nin the past 20 months almost 50 per cent of the Hoover Commission recommenda-\ntions have been effectuated. They have printed in the report a box score\nwhich is rather imposing. Needless to say, most of us would like to see\na greater degree of progress where efficiency and economy would result, but\neven in that interim period there has been substantial result attained. This\nlegislation before us today is for the purpose, at least the alleged purpose,\nof even greater economy and efficiency during the present emergency.\nThe Hoover Commission made about 380 recommendations. Under the\npresent legislation without these amendments which are on the floor today\nnearly 50 per cent of those recommendations have been put into operation in\na period of 20 months. It seems to me under the existing legislation we now\nhave, which this bill will amend, we could still accomplish all reforms in\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nthe executive branch of the government that would be necessary in a\nreasonably short time under any emergency situation.\nI have examined the committee report and the committee hearings.\nI have failed to find any recommendation w the Citizens' Committee for the\nHoover Report for the enactment of these amendments. If you will recall,\nin the last 18 months whenever any amendments to existing legislation or\nany reorganization plans were submitted concerning the Hoover recommendations\nthe Citizens' Committee for the Hoover Report would appear and testify in\nfavor of the legislative proposals or in favor of the reorganisation plans.\nMR. BURNSIDE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?\nMR. FORD. I yield.\nMR. BURNSIDE. The gentleman from Michigan is well acquainted\nwith Mr. McCormick of the Citizens' Committee?\nMR. FORD. I am. I have in my hand the report by his group.\nMR. BURNSIDE. He testified before the other body in favor of\nthe bill S. 101 which is complementary legislation to this legislation which\nwe are now considering.\nMR. FORD. But there is nothing in this committee report and no\ntestimeny before this legislative committee of the House which would indicate\nthat they were in favor of 1t.\nMR. BURNSIDE. That question came up on last Thursday and I would\nlike to give the gentleman the exact words. It is on page 60 of the report\nof the other body.\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nMR. FORD. I am glad to have that information.\nMR. BURNSIDE. Here is the statement. This is Mr. McCormick.\nMR. FORD. Was he testifying before them?\nMR. BURNSIDE. Yes. This is the testimeny:\n\"My name is Robert L. L. McCormick, Dr. Robert L. Johnson,\nChairman of the Citisens' Committee for the Hoover Report requested that\nI present the Committee's views on S. 101 in my capacity as research\ndirector. His request to me, appendix A hereto, is submitted subject to\nyour approval, Mr. Chairman, for the record. We very much appreciate,\nMr. Chairman, your kind invitation to appear before this committee.\"\nMR. FORD. If I may ask the gentleman a question, can the\ngentleman give me the substance of what the recommendation was rather\nthan read the entire testimony at this time?\nMR. BURNSIDE. He recommended the MIL.\nMR. FORD. In toto?\nMR. BURNSIDE. The bill is practically the same bill except\nthat the House bill first had 15 days and later the House accepted the 18\ndays as contained in the Senate MII.\nMR, FORD. I am glad to have the information from the\nFORD is LIBRARY GERALD\ngentlemen. However, information has been given me to the effect that\nthe Citizens' Committee for the Hoover Report is not in favor of this\nMII, at least the Citizens' Committee does not approve unless certain\nchanges are incorporated. I understand there are several proposals in\nreference to Sec. 302 which the Citizens' Committee advocates. The most\nimportant amendment advocated would be the addition of a new subparagraph\nto Sec. 303 to insure that all reorganisation plans submitted, outside\nof those affecting the var effort, would be in conformity with the\nrecommendations of the Hoover Commission. I might add at this point\nthat if the Hoover Commission were reactivated at this time, as I have\nadvocated, recommendations concerning all phases of the federal government\nwould be available for Presidential and Congressional action.\nThe Citizens' Committee has raised some question concerning\nother provisions in this bill. See. 304(b) seems unwise and Sec. 304(a)\nwould seem too broad and gives the Executive Branch of the federal government\ntoo much latitude in the field of substantive law.\nIn conclusion the enactment of this bill is unnecessary. The\nReorganisation Act of 1949 has worked fairly well. The President can do\npractically everything under this law that he could do under the proposed\nchanges. The principal difference lies in the time period of 18 days.\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nIn view of the fact that approximately so per cent of the Hoover Commission\nproposals have been effecuated under existing procedures and new\nPresidential Reorganization plans could be handled in the name vay,\nI see no need for amendment to present law. The enactment of these amend-\nments would only give greater authority to President Truman and I doubt\nif the American public want Congress to abandon or turn over additional\npower to the White House under the present circumstances. If anything.\nCongress should seek to recapture some of its Constitutional prerogatives.\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY"
}