Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This file contains material relating to Richard Nixon.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
4796230
label
Ford Newsletter, August-October 1973
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4796230
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Ford Newsletter, August-October 1973
description
This file contains material relating to Richard Nixon.
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Newsletters
subjects
Washington (D.C.)
Home rule
Legislation
Local transit
Trans-Alaska Pipeline (Alaska)
African American soldiers
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4796230
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1973-10-31
month
10
year
1973
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1973-08-01
month
8
year
1973
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
f2c1e2250a5099c2
ocrText
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Michigan's Fifth District
JERRY FORD
NOT PRINTED At GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
August 6, 1973
CONGRESS WRAPS UP MAJOR LEGISLATION,
CLOSES UP SHOP FOR A MONTH
After working long hours for the past several weeks, sometimes as late as midnight or
longer, the House last Friday wound up its summer legislative activity with final passage of
several major bills.
The last-minute flurry of effort gave Congress a respectable record as members headed for
home districts or vacation spots or combined work and relaxation during the recess ending Sept. 5.
I will be taking a little time off but for the most part I will be touring the Fifth Congres-
sional District in my Mobile Main Street Office and making various speaking appearances.
In a legislative spurt toward the end of last week, the House Thursday night approved a bill
aimed at removing restrictions blocking construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and on
Friday gave final approval to the Federal-Aid Highways Act, a farm bill, and a minimum wage bill.
*
The House passed the trans-Alaska
oil pipeline bill 356-60 after reject-
ing an amendment that would have
knocked out a provision exempting the
pipeline project from further environ-
mental court challenges under terms of
the Environmental Protection Act of
1969. The vote on the amendment was
221-198. I voted against the amendment
and for the bill.
*
The House approved a compromise
three-year $20 billion highway bill
that for the first time allows highway
trust funds to be spent on mass transit
capital improvements. No highway trust
money can be used for mass transit
during the first year of the bill but
in fiscal 1975 urban areas could use
$200 million of the $800 million ear-
marked for urban roads to buy passenger
buses and in fiscal 1976 could use all
or part of the $800 million for buses
or improvements to rail transit systems.
However, no trust fund money could be
used for operating subsidies.
* In a move the President fears will
feed inflation, the House approved an
increase in the minimum wage to $2. 20
an hour for most workers by next July 1
and expanded coverage by eight million
workers.
*
The House joined the Senate in approv-
ing an omnibus four-year farm bill
which sets up a new support price plan
CYSTIC FIBROSIS POSTER CHILD -- Tracey Lynne
for cotton and grains. Growers would
Forehand of Manchester, Mo., is the 1973 National
be eligible for subsidies only if mar-
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation poster child. The Founda-
ket prices drop below the bill's
tion's fund drive is scheduled for September.
"target prices."
MY POSITION ON THE PIPELINE
The only questions at issue as the House considered the trans-Alaska pipeline bill were
whether the proposed trans-Alaska oil line should be delayed while the possibility of a trans-
Canadian oil line was explored, and whether the Interior Department with its six-volume
environmental impact statement had satisfied the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act with regard to the trans-Alaska project.
Going the route of the proposed trans-Canadian pipeline would have posed a delay of perhaps
six or seven years in getting oil to the Lower 48 States--beyond the three years it will take to
build the trans-Alaska oil line.
This assumes that all the obstacles that would have been involved in a trans-Canadian line
could be surmounted. But the biggest stumbling block of all is that the Canadians have shown
no particular interest in allowing an oil pipeline to be built through the Mackenzie River
Valley.
Environmentalists are understandably concerned about the trans-Alaskan line. But there is
no question that every possible environmental safeguard will be taken. The trans-Alaskan oil
line has been designed to be safe from the most severe earthquake ever recorded in Alaska. And
the tankers transporting the oil from Valdez to the West Coast will be U.S. tankers operating
under the strictest possible controls and using segregated ballast systems and the most sophis-
ticated navigational equipment. This should virtually eliminate any losses at sea.
While the trans-Alaskan oil line would be 789 miles long, the trans-Canadian oil line would
traverse some 3,200 miles. The entire length of the Alaskan line involves northern wildlife
habitat. However, the Canadian line would include 1,700 miles of such country--more than twice
as much. The Alaskan line will cross 525 miles of permafrost; the Canadian line would cross
1,200. The Alaskan line involves one major river crossing--The Yukon; the trans-Canadian line
would involve 12 major river crossings. In the unlikely event of a break in the trans-Alaskan
line, the entire pipeline could be shut down in less than six minutes.
HOUSE REJECTS TROOP REDUCTION, CUTS MILITARY FUNDS
The House of Representatives last Tuesday rejected a move by House Democratic Leader Thomas
P. O'Neill Jr. of Massachusetts to cut U.S. troop commitments abroad by 100,000 men.
I fought against O'Neill's proposal, offered as an amendment to the fiscal 1974 military
procurement authorization bill, because I felt it was a serious mistake to weaken our defense
establishment at a time when we are seeking a mutual reduction in Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces
through negotiation.
I warned the House against a return to the America First policy adopted by the United
States after World War I, a policy of isolationism which I believe led to World War II. The
best deterrent to enemy agression is military strength, I declared. I urged that we continue
the policy of military preparedness that has kept the peace in Europe throughout the postwar
years.
Instead of accepting the O'Neill amendment, the House adopted 242 to 163 a substitute which
calls for a study of U.S. troop levels in Europe by the House Armed Services Committee.
The House earlier had rejected a move to cut U.S. troops overseas by 322,000.
As brought to the House floor by the Armed
Services Committee, the military procurement
bill would have authorized 394, 997, 000
for procurement of aircraft, missiles, naval
vessels, tracked combat vehicles, torpedoes
and other weapons. The committee figure was
$623.3 million less than the Administration's.
The House chopped another $950 million out of
the bill across the board, reducing the
measure to last year's level plus 4.5 per
cent to offset inflation. The amendment was
adopted 242 to 163, cutting the bill to
$20,445,255,000.
I opposed the additional authorization cut
because I believe defense spending reductions
should be made judiciously--on recommendation
FIRST SKYLAB CREW I recently visited
of committees which have carefully studied the
with the first Skylab crew members and their
budget requests. The authorization bill, for
wives--Mr. and Mrs. Charles Conrad, Dr. and Mrs.
instance, will be gone over tooth and nail by
Joseph Kerwin and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weitz.
the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
OFFICE COPY
WASHINGTON REVIEW
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Michigan's Fifth District
JERRY FORD
September 17, 1973
HOME FOLKS TELL ME WHAT'S TROUBLING THEM
During the August recess of Congress, I had personal interviews with about 500 people as I
toured the Fifth District in my Main Street Mobile Office.
I made 19 stops, involving total travels of nearly 1,500 miles. My Main Street Mobile
Office took me to within 12 miles of every home in the Fifth District, an area which takes in
parts of six counties. In addition, I made 15 speeches during the recess and had conferences
with 12 groups.
Inflation is uppermost in the minds of Fifth District folks--the same problem that is No. 1
throughout the Nation. About 50 people talked with me about Watergate. of those, some 25 per
cent were antagonistic toward the President. The others simply asked questions or said they
would like to see the Ervin Committee hearings end.
What can we do about inflation? The best answer to inflation is to expand production. The
Administration has encouraged farmers to do this, and record crops for wheat, corn and soybeans
are in prospect. Prices are under tight government control. The Federal Reserve is curbing the
money supply. The most important action Congress can take is to deal responsibly with the
Federal budget for fiscal 1974.
PRESIDENT SENDS CONGRESS SECOND 'STATE OF THE UNION' MESSAGE
The President has sent Congress a second State of the Union Message in which he urged
action on some 50 Administration bills and pleaded with Congress to hold back on Federal spend-
ing without gutting the defense budget.
The dominant note in the Presi-
dent's message was one of concil-
iation, a willingness to work with
Congress for the good of the
country.
I, for one, am willing to stick
with the legislative job until New
Year's Eve, if necessary, to pass
legislation benefiting the people
and to keep a tight rein on
Federal spending. We must do
everything possible to fight in-
flation and to deal with the
energy crisis.
HELP IN THE INFLATION FIGHT
By a 220-133 vote, the House has
approved legislation strengthening
the President's power to impose
export controls to keep domestic
prices down. I strongly supported
the bill. The measure authorizes
FIGHTING INFLATION Treasury Secretary George Shultz
the President to impose export
and I discuss how best to fight inflation--by holding back
controls either if there is a
Federal spending, expanding food production, imposing price
domestic scarcity or to reduce the
controls, and tightening up on the money supply. Shultz
"inflationary impact of abnormal
says the worst is behind us.
foreign demand.
HOUSE SUSTAINS FIFTH VETO
The House last Wednesday sustained the President's veto of a bill which would have kept
outmoded and unnecessary Public Health Service Hospitals operating in addition to providing
Federal funds for emergency medical services in home communities.
Most Republicans favor Federal funding for emergency medical services but they objected to
keeping the Public Health Service hospitals inpatient facilities operating when the patient load
at these hospitals is declining and the Administration had arranged for local hospitals to pro-
vide these patients with better services. Outpatient services and dental clinics would continue
operating at the PHS hospitals. Also, the PHS hospital at Staten Island would continue full
operations because no better alternative is available.
The veto override vote, 273 to 144, fell five votes short of the necessary two-thirds.
Republicans the same day introduced a new Emergency Medical Services Bill identical with the
vetoed legislation except for the directive forcing the Administration to continue operating the
PHS hospitals. Although the President has not said he would sign such a bill, I told the House
I would "stake my reputation" on getting him to approve it.
At this point, I would like to emphasize that Grand Rapids has an excellent emergency
medical services program without Federal help. So it can be done through local initiative.
ADMINISTRATION-BACKED HEALTH CARE BILL PASSES
The House last Wednesday overwhelmingly approved an Administration-backed bill which
may lead to less costly health care. I strongly favor the measure.
Passed by a vote of 369 to 40, the bill authorizes $240 million in Federal grants over
a five-year period to encourage the development of so-called health maintenance organiza-
tions (HMO's).
HMO's are public or nonprofit private groups consisting of medical teams and
facilities. They provide comprehensive health care to enrollees who pay a fixed premium.
There is no extra charge for repeated checkups or treatment. The idea behind HMO's is to
concentrate on preventing illness and thus reduce a family's health costs.
The Nixon Administration proposed a large-scale HMO program two years ago, and this
year recommended a smaller demonstration-type program. It was this scaled-back proposal
that the House approved last week.
ACADEMY OPENINGS
Four appointments to the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis, three to the U.S. Military Academy at
West Point, and one to the Air Force Academy at
Colorado Springs are available to young men
living in the Fifth Congressional District.
These all-expense college scholarships are open
to high school seniors and graduates who are
interested in careers in the armed services.
In addition, applicants must be U.S. citizens,
under 22 years of age, unmarried, and able to
pass the physical and scholastic tests. Appli-
cations may be obtained from my district office
at 720 Federal Building, 110 Michigan Ave. N.W.,
Grand Rapids, or from my Washington office,
Room H-230, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington,
D.C., 20515.
TV BLACKOUT LIFTED
Acting swiftly to beat the opening whistle of
the 1973-74 professional football season, the
Congress Thursday rushed through legislation
which lifts television blackouts of sold-out
pro football games being played at home.
A JOB WELL DONE I congratulate Stephen
Meeter of Cascade for the fine job he did in
Under the bill, there can be no TV blackouts
assisting my regular Washington staff for a
of home pro football games sold out 72 hours
month earlier this fall. Steve is a senior
in advance of game time. This ban on such TV
at Calvin College.
blackouts extends for a three-year period.
WASHINGTON REVIEW
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Michigan's Fifth District
JERRY FORD
FAINTED GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
October 8, 1973
HOUSE 'INVITES' MASS TRANSIT OPERATING SUBSIDIES VETO
Despite the certainty of a Presidential veto, the House last Wednesday narrowly approved a
two-year $800 million program of operating subsidies for mass transit.
It is now up to the President to save the nation's taxpayers from a subsidy program which
would be a never-ending, ever-growing drain on the Federal Treasury, with the bulk of the
money going to less than a half dozen of our cities. New York City, alone, would get 22 per
cent of the funds.
I don't want my constituents or any other taxpayers in this country providing operating
subsidies for inefficient obsolete mass transit facilities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia and Boston.
The bill does absolutely nothing to encourage sound management and efficiency. It simply
would provide operating subsidies based on population, passenger miles, and vehicular miles
traveled. This would be like pouring money down a rathole.
I have voted for Federal aid for mass transit capital improvements in the past, although I
opposed taking any money for this purpose from the Highway Trust Fund. I still believe such
monies should come from general revenue and not from highway user tax revenues. I am un-
equivocally opposed to Federal subsidies for mass transit operating expenses. As I have said
before, that is a bottomless pit and will run into billions of dollars.
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 authorized an additional $3 billion exclusively for
mass transit capital grants and also $2.5 billion for urban transportation programs with the
option of using this money for mass transit capital improvements.
In considering the Federal-Aid Highway Act, the House rejected an amendment which would
have put the Federal Government in the business of paying operating subsidies for mass transit
systems.
The House is deeply split over the question of operating subsidies for mass transit systems.
In the action last Wednesday, the House first voted tentatively, 206 to 203, to knock the
funds out of the $800 million subsidy bill. After considerable arm-twisting by the House
Democratic leadership, House members later again voted on the fund-deleting amendment and this
time rejected it 210 to 205. Needless to say, I voted both times for eliminating the subsidies.
The bill was approved 219 to 195 on final passage. I voted against the bill, and I feel
certain the House will sustain the anticipated Presidential veto if called upon to vote on it.
RADIO FREE EUROPE AND RADIO LIBERTY TO CONTINUE
Convinced that efforts to bring the truth to the people of the Soviet Union and the Eastern
bloc nations should continue, the House voted 313 to 90 last Tuesday to authorize the funding of
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty in fiscal 1974. I strongly supported this action.
The bill would authorize $50.2 million for the two stations this fiscal year and esta-
blishes a board of international broadcasting to supervise their operations.
The Senate earlier this fall approved similar legislation The minor ferences between
the House and Senate bills now must be worked out in conference.
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty provide the people of Communist nations in Europe with
news they would not otherwise get. Radio Free Europe broadcasts daily via transmitters in West
Germany and Portugal to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria. Radio Liberty
broadcasts daily in Russian and 18 other languages spoken within the Soviet Union.
HOUSE ACTION UPCOMING ON PENSION BILL
The House is moving along on pension reform. I hope action will come yet this year.
The House Education and Labor Committee last Tuesday reported out a bill which is similar
to legislation approved Sept. 19 by the Senate. Meantime, the House Ways and Means Committee
is conducting hearings on pension reform because that committee shares jurisdiction with
Education and Labor over pension legislation.
The Senate-approved pension reform bill sets minimum standards for participation in pension
plans, for vesting, and funding of private employe pension systems.
In my view, pension reform is top priority legislation and should be enacted as soon as
possible. Compromises will be necessary. But whatever is done, workers' pension rights should
be protected and strengthened.
VOCATIONAL 'REHAB' LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW
President Nixon has signed into law a modified version of vocational rehabilitation
legislation he had twice vetoed as too costly.
The new program, which I support, authorizes $1.54 billion over a two-year period in
grants to states, local governments and private agencies to operate programs aimed at
rehabilitating the handicapped and equipping them for jobs. The bill sets the spending
ceiling for an appropriation to be approved by the Congress later.
The program for the first time will include special projects and research into the
problems of those suffering from spinal cord injuries, the older blind and deaf, and
disabled migratory agricultural workers. It also sets up Federal mortgage insurance to
help build rehabilitation centers and remodel public buildings to accommodate the
handicapped.
The authorization level of $1.54 billion for two years compares with $3.5 billion for
three years in the first bill vetoed and $2.6 billion for three years in the second bill
rejected by the President. The fiscal year 1974 authorization is $756.3 million, as
compared with actual spending of $697.5 million in fiscal 1973.
F.H.A. EXTENSION BECOMES EFFECTIVE
In highly important action which received almost no mention in the press, the Congress
passed a one-year extension of existing F.H.A. loan authority and the President on Oct. 2
signed the legislation.
The Senate had caused a backup of mortgage
applications by attaching to the F.H.A.
extension a provision dealing with impoundment
of appropriated funds. This provision sought
to prevent Presidential impoundment of certain
housing program funds.
The House insisted upon a simple one-year
extension of existing F.H.A. loan authority
without the impoundment provision. In the
tussle with the Senate, the House prevailed.
In addition to renewal of F.H.A. insurance
authority, the legislation authorizes
$140 million for the low rent public housing
program, $664 million for the urban renewal
program, and $103 million for other slum
clearance programs.
DISTRICT VISIT
WHITE HOUSE MAJOR DOMO'S -- I have fre-
quent contacts with the White House staff.
My district assistant, Gordon Vander Till, will
Shown here with me are, from left, White
be at Ionia City Hall from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
House chief-of-staff Alexander Haig and Mrs.
Oct. 15 to answer questions and to discuss
Haig, chief domestic adviser Melvin Laird,
problems with my Fifth District constituents on
and presidential counselor Bryce Harlow.
my behalf.
Report
Serving
From Your Congressman
Michigan's Fifth District
JERRY FORD
COVERNMENT
October 15, 1973
HOME RULE -- WITH PROTECTION FOR THE FEDERAL INTEREST
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution provides that Congress
shall "exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever" over the District of Columbia.
Because the legislation as amended on the floor of the House adequately protected the
Federal interest, I voted last Wednesday for a bill which gives a considerable measure of self-
government to the people of Washington, D.C. The final vote was 343 to 74.
The House-approved bill would allow District voters to elect a mayor and a 13-member City
Council on a nonpartisan basis. District voters first must adopt a charter. The mayor-council
election could take place as early as the fall of 1974.
The Home Rule bill passed the House after a day of debate and a day spent on amendments.
The Senate has approved a measure giving Washington residents greater self-government powers.
The differences between the House and Senate bills now must be reconciled before the legislation
can be sent to the President for his signature.
Under the legislation passed by the House, the D.C. government would have control over most
local taxation, but with a ban on taxing the income of non-residents working in the city.
Congress would retain power over line items in the district budget, the local courts and
criminal laws.
I believe Congress should retain full and ultimate legislative jurisdiction over the
district in accordance with the responsibility placed upon the Congress by the Constitution.
POWER OVER LINE ITEMS IN D.C. BUDGET ESSENTIAL
The power of the purse is vital if Congress is to retain legislative jurisdiction over the
district.
I therefore was pleased when Rep. Charles Diggs, D-Mich., chairman of the District of
Columbia Committee, agreed that Congress should retain appropriations power over the district.
Since the committee bill had been so amended before it was taken up by the House, there was
no fight in the House over the question of D.C. budget line item veto power.
In fiscal 1974, the District of Columbia will receive $615,812,100 from the Federal
Government, including a "Federal payment" of $187,450,000, various grants-in-aid totalling
$232,784,100, capital outlays amounting to $138,178,000, and $57,400,000 in revenue sharing
funds.
In the last dozen years, the Federal payment to the district has jumped from $25 million to
$187,450,000.
In the last dozen years, we have built 3,228 new classrooms in the district at a cost of
$303,337,463. Our per capita expenditure for education in the nation's capital for fiscal 1974
is $1,358 one of the highest in the country.
I have supported the right of D.C. residents to vote for President and Vice-President; to
elect a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives; and to elect their own school board.
I have now voted to give them additional rights and responsibilities. But I am firmly con-
vinced that if Congress is to be true to its constitutional mandate regarding the nation's
capital, the Congress must retain control over the district budget.
In my view, this particular provision of the bill is non-negotiable in the House-Senate
Conference.
FEDERAL 'ENCLAVE' SPELLED OUT IN HOUSE BILL
To further protect the Federal interest, the House included in its Home Rule bill a pro-
vision which draws a line around all of the Federal buildings in the nation's capital and
places them exclusively under Federal control.
This Federal enclave includes the Capitol, the White House, the House and Senate Office
Buildings, the Kennedy Center, and all of the Federal buildings up and down Independence Avenue.
It also takes in Fort McNair, the Washington Navy Yard, Bolling Air Force Base, the Naval
Research Observatory, and other Federal installations.
I feel that the nation's capital belongs to every citizen of the United States, whether he
lives in the District of Columbia or Michigan. Let's be realistic. The city of Washington is
different from every other city in the country because it is, after all, the capital of the
United States.
The enclave amendment was offered by Rep. Edith Green, D-Ore. It passed 209 to 202. I
strongly favored it.
APPOINTIVE MAYOR AMENDMENT FAILS
I went into the Home Rule debate supporting a substitute bill advanced by Mrs. Green and
Rep. Ancher Nelsen of Minnesota, the ranking Republican on the D.C. Committee.
The Green-Nelsen substitute provided for an elected City Council but would have empowered
the President to appoint the mayor of Washington, as at present.
The rationale behind this proviso is that the mayor appoints the police chief, and if the
President had the power to appoint the mayor he also would have some authority over the
Washington police force.
Since the Diggs bill already gave the President certain emergency police powers in D.C.,
the Green-Nelsen substitute was rejected, 273 to 144. I voted for the substitute. As I noted
earlier, I voted for the Diggs bill on final passage.
PRESIDENT WOULD CONTINUE APPOINTING D.C. JUDGES
The Diggs bill would have given the elected mayor the power to appoint judges for the D.C.
courts. This was a serious defect in the bill.
To correct this defect, Rep. William Harsha, R-Ohio, offered an amendment empowering the
President to name D.C. Superior Court judges, as at present.
Harsha pointed out that judges cannot render justice impartially if they are subject to
political pressure, however indirect. He noted that judges of the Superior and Appeals courts
are called upon to review certain actions of District officials, including the mayor.
I read to the House a letter from U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson in which the
Justice Department expressed its opposition to having the mayor appoint Superior Court judges,
principally for the reasons set forth by Congressman Harsha.
The House adopted the Harsha Amendment 228 to 186.
VETO POWERS
Under the House-approved Home Rule bill, Congress would continue to have authority to enact
any legislation dealing with the District and would have the power to override any act of the
local government.
The City Council would be empowered to override a veto by the mayor with a two-thirds vote
of those present and voting, but the President would have the authority to sustain the mayor's
veto if he is overridden by the Council.
There is a proposed new ceiling of $250 million for the Federal Payment to the District.
The District government could initiate local land use planning, but the National Capital
Planning Commission could veto any District plans it believes conflict with the Federal inter-
est. The makeup of the NCPC would be changed to include more district representation and at
least one representative each from Maryland and Virginia.
# # #
ITEM TRANSFER REFERENCE FORM
The item described below has been removed to:
New File Location:
audio - visual materials
Document
Description: Eighteen (18) black and white photographe
(16 of them are 8" X10", 2 are smaller.
These photographs were used in Ford's Congressional
Newsletter, " Your Washington Review," 1973
Old File Location:
Ford's Congressional Newsletter, "Your
W ashington Review," 1973
By DennisM. Laborry Date January 17, 1978
NLFP - 11/4/77