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Republican Candidates School Dinner, Fairborn, OH, June 9, 1970
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4526292
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document
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Republican Candidates School Dinner, Fairborn, OH, June 9, 1970
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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Democratic Party (U.S.)
Republican National Committee (U.S.)
U.S. Congress. 1789-
Congressional elections
Crime
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4526292
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1970-06-30
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6
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1970
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1970-06-01
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6
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1970
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The original documents are located in Box D29, folder "Republican Candidates School
Dinner, Fairborn, OH, June 9, 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box D29 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
1970 REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES SCHOOL DINNER
7 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 9. 1970, AT THE
MARRIOTT TWIN BRIDGES MOTEL.
[Fairborn, ors]
THE PHONIEST FABLE ANYONE HAS
EVER HEARD TOLD IN THIS COUNTRY IS THAT
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHO IS
ELECTED TO CONGRESS BECAUSE THE END RESULT
IS GOING TO BE THE SAME.
THAT IS THE SILLIEST STATEMENT
ANYBODY COULD POSSIBLY MAKE -- AND THE
RECORD OF THE 91st CONGRESS IS THE PROOF
OF IT. THE RECORD OF THE 91st CONGRESS
IS LIVING PROOF THAT THE COURSE OF THIS
COUNTRY WOULD BE FAR DIFFERENT IF REPUBLICANS
WERE IN CONTROL.
POLITICIANS ARE FOND OF ACCUSING
THE ADMINISTRATION PARTY OF A POLICY OF
DRIFT. WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE NOW
GERA ADVURIT
A POLICY OF DRIFT -- BUT IT IS THE
_2_
DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL OF THE CONGRESS WHO
ARE DOING THE DRIFTING.
THE DEMOCRATS IN THE SIXTIES
SET THE COUNTRY ADRIFT ON A SEA OF
TROUBLES -- VIETNAM, INFLATION, RAMPANT
CRIME -- WHILE THEY CONTROLLED BOTH THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE CONGRESS.
NOW STILL IN CONTROL OF THE
CONGRESS, THEY ARE FORCING THE COUNTRY
TO CONTINUE DRIFTING ON THAT SEA --
DRIFTING WHILE THEY PLAY POLITICS WITH
THE NATION'S MOST PERILOUS PROBLEMS IN
THE HOPE OF FOULING UP THE ONLY PRESIDENT
THIS COUNTRY HAS AND WINNING BACK THE
WHITE HOUSE IN 1972.
DRIFTING AND FOOT-DRAGGING --
THESE ARE THE TOP TRICKS IN THE DEMOCRATS'
BAG WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO TEAR AWAY
THE ORATORICAL FOGGERY WITH WHICH THE
DEMOCRATS SURROUND THEIR POLITICAL
-3-
ARTIFICES AND MAKE CLEAR TO THE PEOPLE
THE GAMES THEY ARE PLAYING.
LET'S LET THE PEOPLE KNOW HOW THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE PLAYED HOB WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S PLANS FOR CURBING INFLATION,
FIGHTING CRIME AND WINDING DOWN THE
VIETNAM WAR. LET'S LET THE PEOPLE KNOW
HOW THE DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE
DIVISIVENESS NOW PLAGUING THE COUNTRY,
HOW THEY HAVE UNDERMINED THE PRESIDENT'S
VIETNAMIZATION PROGRAM, HOW MANY OF THEM
WHO SUPPORTED THEIR OWN PRESIDENT ON
VIETNAM ARE REFUSING TO SUPPORT A PRESIDENT
ELECTED FROM THE OTHER PARTY.
THE PEOPLE MUST ELECT MORE
REPUBLICANS TO CONGRESS IN NOVEMBER IF
THE NATION IS NOT TO SUFFER FROM GALLOPING
INFLATION, A CONTINUING FLOOD OF THE
PERMISSIVENESS THAT HAS ENGULFED THIS
COUNTRY IN AN ORGY OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE,
-4-
AND A CONTINUED TEARING ASUNDER OF THE
COUNTRY BY DEMOCRATS UNDERCUTTING
PRESIDENT NIXON'S VIETNAM POLICY.
LOOK AT THE RECORD OF THE
DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED 91st CONGRESS. THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF FOOT-DRAGGING
IN THE WAR AGAINST CRIME. THE DEMOCRATS
HAVE BEEN IRRESPONSIBLE IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST INFLATION.
THAT IS THE ONLY CONCLUSION YOU
CAN REACH WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE FATTENED THE PRESIDENT'S
BUDGET WITH AMENDMENTS THAT FUEL INFLATION
AND LET MORE THAN A YEAR SLIDE BY WITHOUT
ENACTING EVEN ONE OF PRESIDENT NIXON'S
13 MAJOR ANTI-CRIME BILLS.
ON CRIME THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
GERALOR FORD VIBRARY
TAKEN A GO-SLOW APPROACH WHICH HAS
HAMPERED REPUBLICAN EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT
A NATIONAL ANTI-CRIME CAMPAIGN.
-5-
INSTEAD OF MAKING ALL POSSIBLE
WEAPONS AVAILABLE TO CRIME FIGHTERS AT
THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS,
DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS HAVE FUSSED ABOUT
SUCH CRIME PROVISIONS AS NO-KNOCK AND
PREVENTIVE DETENTION. TO ME THIS
INDICATES A LACK OF PROPER CONCERN FOR THE
COLLECTIVE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. I HAVE
ALWAYS FELT THAT THE LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN
HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM NO-KNOCK
PARTICULARLY SINCE IT WOULD BE
CIRCUMSCRIBED WITH JUDICIAL SAFEGUARDS.
IT IS LONG PAST TIME THAT WE
ACTED TO STRENGTHEN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
FORCES IN THIS COUNTRY. WE WHO ARE
DETERMINED TO DO THAT KNOW THAT WE CAN
BUILD UP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND AT THE SAME
TIME PROTECT INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
BERÄLD FORD
BUT THE STALLING GOES ON, AND
TO DATE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HAS
-6-
NOT PASSED OUT A SINGLE MAJOR ANTI-CRIME
BILL SENT TO THE CONGRESS BY THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION.
IN FACT, DRUG CONTROL HAS BEEN
CAUGHT UP IN A JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTE
AMONG DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. THE
CONSEQUENCE IS THAT HEARINGS HAVE NOT EVEN
BEEN HELD IN THE HOUSE ON THE DRUG
CONTROL ACT PASSED BY THE SENATE LAST
JANUARY. THIS IS INEXCUSABLE.
WHEN THIS SESSION ENDS, THE
DEMOCRATS WILL OF COURSE INSIST THAT THEY
HAVE COMPILED AN EXCELLENT LEGISLATIVE
RECORD. IT WILL BE OUR JOB TO CARRY THE
TRUTH TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THE FACT
THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SIT-STILL, STUTTER AND
STALL CONGRESS, A CONGRESS WHICH HAS
REFUSED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE GREAT
REFORMS PROPOSED BY A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.
IT IS REPREHENSIBLE THAT THE
-7-
DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED CONGRESS HELD UP THE
SCHOOL AID APPROPRIATION FOR A WHOLE
YEAR WHILE THEY PLOTTED A VETO-INVITING,
BUDGET-BUSTING $1.3 BILLION AMENDMENT TO IT.
THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITH A
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE CONGRESS.
IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT THE PRESIDENT
FINALLY WAS FORCED TO COMPROMISE ON THIS
BUDGET-BUSTING ACTION BY ACCEPTING
ROUGHLY HALF OF THE UNJUSTIFIABLE INCREASE
INSISTED UPON BY POLITICS-PLAYING DEMOCRATS.
IT IS TRAGIC THAT ALL FOUR OF THE
URGENTLY NEEDED POLLUTION CONTROL BILLS
PROPOSED BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION ARE
STILL STALLED IN COMMITTEE.
IT IS AN OFFENSE TO ALL OF
AMERICA'S ELDERLY THAT THE DEMOCRATIC
MAJORITY ON THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE FOR YEARS REFUSED TO ALLOW A
GERALD LIBRARY
COST-OF-LIVING PROVISION TO BE TIED TO
-8-
SOCIAL SECURITY.
IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION'S MANPOWER RETRAINING BILL
STILL IS STALLED IN COMMITTEE, THE SUBJECT
OF INTERMINABLE HEARINGS.
AND IT IS INJURIOUS TO THE ENTIRE
NATION THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE HOLDING
CAPTIVE THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION'S
REVENUE SHARING BILL -- THE KEY TO
PRIORITY ACTION BY LOCAL PEOPLE ON LOCAL
PROBLEMS THE KEY TO DECENTRALIZATION OF
GOVERNMENT POWER THE KEY TO THE NEW
FEDERALISM.
WOULD THERE BE A DIFFERENCE IF
REPUBLICANS WERE IN CONTROL OF CONGRESS?
YOU BET THERE WOULD BE.
WE WOULD MOVE THE PRESIDENT
PROGRAM. WE WOULD MOVE AMERICA FORWARD.
WE WOULD RESTORE THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR.
-9-
WE WOULD LEAVE FAR MORE OF WHAT HE EARNS
IN THE POCKETS OF THE AMERICAN WORKINGMAN.
WE WOULD GIVE AMERICANS SOUND GOVERNMENT
THE KIND OF GOVERNMENT A HARD-WORKING
PEOPLE DESERVES.
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS HAVE
BEEN WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT KIND
OF GOVERNMENT, AND WE ONLY NEED THE NUMBERS
TO PUT OUR PLANS INTO ACTION.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A
HOUSE REPUBLICAN RESEARCH COMMITTEE WHICH
HAS MADE IN-DEPTH STUDIES OF SOME OF THE
GREAT PROBLEMS FACING OUR NATION AND HAS
COME UP WITH SOUND SOLUTIONS.
NEARLY ALL OF THE NIXON REFORMS
WERE BORN OR DID SOME GROWING UP IN THE
HOUSE REPUBLICAN RESEARCH COMMITTEE --
REVENUE SHARING, BLOCK GRANTS,
A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
-10-
EDUCATION, A SOCIAL SECURITY COST-OF-LIVING
PLAN, MAKING THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY AN INNOVATIVE INSTEAD OF
AN OPERATING AGENCY, TAKING THE POST
OFFICE DEPARTMENT OUT OF POLITICS,
IMPROVING THE HANDLING OF NATIONAL
EMERGENCY LABOR DISPUTES, ELIMINATING
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM, IMPROVING
OUR CRIME-FIGHTING MACHINERY.
THE LABORS OF THE RESEARCH
COMMITTEE ARE INDICATIVE OF THE HARD WORK
THAT GOES WITH THE JOB OF BEING A
CONGRESSMAN.
LET ME WARN YOU -- DON'T COME
DOWN HERE TO CONGRESS IF YOU AREN'T WILLING
TO SWEAT AND PUT IN LONG HOURS.
BEING A CONGRESSMAN IS ROUGH.
IT'S A 20-HOUR-DAY, SEVEN-DAY WEEK KIND
OF JOB AND WHAT'S MORE, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT
TO KEEP THIS JOB EVERY TWO YEARS.
-11-
IT'S A JOB THAT'S NEVER FINISHED AND
NEVER THE SAME FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT.
IT'S A JOB THAT ROBS YOU OF HOURS YOU WANT
TO SPEND WITH YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN, HAS
NO RESPECT FOR SOCIAL PLANS OR SLEEPING
HOURS, A JOB IN WHICH YOU KNOCK YOURSELF
OUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BE
CUSSING YOU NEXT WEEK.
WELL THEN, WHY SHOULD YOU WANT
TO BE A CONGRESSMAN. WHY DO 1? -- AND
I TELL YOU TRUE, I'D RATHER BE A MEMBER OF
THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE THAN SENATOR, GOVERNOR,
SUCCESSFUL LAWYER, OR ANY OF THE OTHER
WORK I MIGHT ASPIRE TO.
BECAUSE BEING A REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IS THE MOST
CHALLENGING AND THE MOST REWARDING
PROFESSION IN THE WORLD. BEING ABLE TO
SERVE AND SPEAK FOR THESE FREE AND FINE
CITIZENS, THE SILENT ONES AND, YES, SOME
-12-
NOISY ONES TOO -- IS AN HONOR THAT COMES
TO VERY FEW MEN. THEY GIVE YOU THEIR
VOTE, AND THEIR TRUST, AND YOU HAVE TO
MEASURE UP TO THAT EVERY 24 MONTHS. SO
WHEN YOU DO, YOU CAN BE EVEN MORE PROUD --
THE MEASURE OF THE JOB YOU ARE DOING
COMES REGULARLY AND THERE IS NO ARGUING
WITH THE VERDICT OF THE PEOPLE. SO IF YOU
MAKE IT, YOU HAVE A REAL RIGHT TO FEEL
GOOD ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANT TO SOUND CORNY,
BUT IT IS IMMENSELY REWARDING TO HAVE A
PART IN MAKING THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
IT IS THE GREATEST PROFESSION I KNOW TO
BE A PROFESSIONAL PROBLEM SOLVER, A
COMPROMISER OF CONFLICT, A MAKER OF LAW.
COME TO CONGRESS -- AND I HOPE MANY OF
YOU DO -- BUT DON'T COME HERE UNLESS YOU
COME EXPECTING TO WORK HARDER THAN YOU
HAVE EVER WORKED IN YOUR LIFE.
-
-13-
IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
-- END -- - -
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD