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7339279
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Remarks of Vice President at Black Caucus Full Employment Forum Luncheon [Speeches by Others]
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7339279
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document
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Remarks of Vice President at Black Caucus Full Employment Forum Luncheon [Speeches by Others]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7339279
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1975-05-20
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5
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1975
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Digitized from Box 11 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR RELEASE UPON DELIVERY
MAY 20, 1975
Office of the Vice President
Washington, D. C.
REMARKS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT THE
BLACK CAUCUS FULL EMPLOYMENT FORUM LUNCHEON
RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D. C.
May 20, 1975
I have enormous admiration for the active and meaningful role the
Congressional Black Caucus seeks to play in resolving the nation's
economic and employment problems. The Caucus is to be commended
for holding this conference and inviting useful contributions from
those of you who have come from all across the country to be here.
I have long admired the work of the Black Caucus as it has sought
from its inception to bring to the attention of America many of our
problems and to dramatize the urgent need for solutions through the
constructive legislative process.
And, personally, I shall always be grateful for the support and vote
of confidence which many of the members of this Caucus placed in me
during my confirmation as Vice President.
We have come here today to discuss the need to achieve as full
employment of our nation's people as possible.
Today, unemployment cuts right across middle and low-income Americans.
Most recent unemployment figures show a national rate of 8.9 percent.
But let us not forget that black unemployment has consistently been
above 8 percent since 1969. Most recently, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports that black unemployment is at 14.6 percent and
black teenage unemployment about 40 percent.
These are startling figures. Accordingly, the Administration
recommended to the Congress nearly two months ago an additional
emergency employment appropriation of $1.6 billion, including
$412.7 million for summer youth employment in urban areas. This
summer program would create nearly one million more jobs for
teenagers who otherwise would be idle during the summer. And last
week the Congress enacted this administration proposal.
Admittedly, the impact of public service employment programs on
massive unemployment is at best limited. It leaves the larger need
for growing job opportunities in the private sector unsolved. The
1.6 billion level recommended by the President will, however,
sustain existing public service employment programs through Fiscal
Year 1976, with over 310,000 jobs created.
When we discuss employment, we must keep in mind the need for jobs
to be meaningful and constructive. We must press for equal
employment opportunity among the races and between men and women.
For, as you well know, throughout our urban life many women serve
as heads of households. We must insure that the jobs of permanent
public employees are not threatened by cheaper temporary public
service jobs. And finally, we must coordinate job training programs
with industrial needs -- to insure that people are trained in areas
where genuine job needs exist.
- more -
Page 2
I pledge myself to work with the Congressional Black Caucus in
pursuit of increased employment opportunities for all Americans.
For the only real weapons that either low or moderate income
families have against inflation or recession are jobs. We must
all be committed, business, industry, labor, government, black and
white, no matter how much we differ in approach, to the proposition
that as long as we expect every American to make a contribution to
the betterment of our society, we must insure him or her of the
opportunity to make that contribution with both pride and dignity.
And that means opportunity to find a job.
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