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White House - Congressional Leadership Meeting, 6/24/69 (includes minutes)
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1550981
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White House - Congressional Leadership Meeting, 6/24/69 (includes minutes)
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Robert T. Hartmann Papers
House of Representatives Subject Files
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Antimissile missiles
Federal budget
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Taxation
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1969
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These documents were scanned from Box 106 of the Robert T. Hartmann Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP MEETING
JUNE 24 - 8:30 a.m.
AGENDA
8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
I. Surtax
9:00 - 9:15 a.m.
II. Senate Report
9:15 - 9:30 a.m.
III. House Report
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
DIARY OF WHITE HOUSE LEADERSHIP
MEETINGS -- 91st CONGRESS
June 24, 1969
The President had been aloft in a helicopter viewing the
daily traffic snarl and after landing on the south lawn, he
entered the Cabinet Room at 8:40 a. m.
Ford said that both Mills and Byrnes are asking the Rules
Committee today for a closed rule on the surtax extension
bill. According to McCormack, only 3 Democrats will
join the 5 Republicans on the Rules Committee. On the
roll call on the rule, we will need even more Republican
votes than we will need on passage of the bill. Passage
will come late Wednesday. There will be a straight
motion to recommit which will be made by one of the
Republican members on the Committee. Since all voted
for the bill, this will require one to change his position.
Morton said, "You have got a willing volunteer. " "Failure
to pase the bill on the Floor will be a reflection on the
Democratic leadership, " Ford said. Byrnes said that they
would ask for 4 hours of debate. Smith agreed that the major
problem was among the Democratic members of the Rules
Committee.
RMN made one of the most vigorous dissertations on the
urgency of the matter which I have heard him deliver. In
parliamentary bodies around the world, it is always under-
stood that a tax measure or any other measure dealing
with the budgetary process is regarded as a party policy
matter. He said that he would noteconsider a vote on other
issues such as ABM to be such, but that he could not look
upon a tax vote as anything else. He said that he had looked
over the list of Republican Members who are undecided or
will vote "no." Ninety percent represent safe districts. He
said he understood that conservatiges who voted "no" on the
issue last year would want to vote "no" this year for the make
of consistency. However, he believes that these same con-
GERALD LISEARY ? FORD
2
servatives who have "bled and died for the Party over the
years" would respond to a party-loyalty appeal.
Rhodes inquired about the withholding tax tables. Hughes
said that if the House passes the bill tomorrow, an effort
will be made to put a rider on some House bill already in
the Senate. Rhodes suggested the Supplemental Appropria-
tion bill. Byrnes said that it is difficult, if not constitu-
tionally questionable, to put a tax rider on an appropriation
bill. He recommended that such a procedure be cleared
with Mills before it is undertaken.
RMN inquired about the situation in the Senate. Dirksen
said that the Senate is like last Sunday's weather -- cloudy
and unpredictable. He said that there has been little cloak
room discussion about the issue. However, he feels that
the Senate "will rise to the occasion and everything will
work out all right. Williams feels that we can count on 2
or 3 Democratic votes in the Finance Committee, just
enough to report the bill. He reiterated his own conviction
that higher taxes and higher interest will not check inflation
as effectively as spending cuts. He also said that savings
bonds interest rates should be increased to 6% in order to
siphon off some of the excess spending money. RMN asked
if the problem in the Senate would not be amendments offered
to the tax bill. Dirksen said, "No." Scott said that the
Chairman of the Finance Committee (Long) would not want
anyone to have an opportunity of offer an amendment concern-
ing oil depletion and accordingly would help tomppose amend-
ments generally.
Hughes said that the Bureau has a savings bond proposal already
prepared but waiting on passage of the surtax bill. RMN told
Hughes not to count on him to make any public appeal to little
people to buy 4 1/4% savings to on ds when the savings and loan
company down the street will pay them 5 1/2% for their savings.
Dirksen reported that the Senate had passed a bill authorizing
69 new federal judges. The President asked me (Poff) what its
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
3
prospects were in the House. I told him that I was not
able to give him a forecast but that I felt reasonably sure
that the Chairman would not see fit to act immediately
and probably not before the end of the session at the
earliest. RMN asked if this had anything to do with
Kronhein. I smiled and said that it might have some
relationship (Mr. Celler wants Kronhein, whose 15-year
term expires this year, reappointed). Dirksen reported
on the so-called "commitments bill. He has prepared
a substitute which exempts national security commitments
and in other respects gives the President more flexibility.
RMM said that it is extremely important not to inhibit
the President with respect to his power to aet promptly
in emergencies. Legislation such as this could destroy
America's bargaining power with other nations. One of
the few tactical advantages America has in the field of
international action is the power of the President under
the Constitution to conduct foreign affairs and make other
commitments on his own responsibility. On the other
hand, decisions in Russia must be made by the Trium-
virate. He said that Dirksen's substitute is a statesman-
like approach. "In international affairs, he said, "half
the game is keeping the other fellow guessing." Rhodes
suggested that Dirksen might want to introduce a
substitute as a S.J. Res. Dirksen said that this would
require the President's signature, and this might be a
source of embarrassment. Dirksen said that the Agri-
cultural Appropriations bill will likely be deferred, at
Senator Ellender's request, until after the July 4 recess.
Scott asked Dirksen to report about the legislation back-
log. Dirksen said that 102 bills now have status in com-
mittee. He predicted that Congress will be in session
until Christmas.
Ford reported that the Atomic Energy Authorization bill
will be considered by the House beginning at 11:00 a. m.
today. The legislation has an "ABM potential" in the field
of research. The Independent Offices Appropriation bill
will be considered later today. It includes a $358 million
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
4
cut in the housing budget. The interstate taxation bill
scheduled for Thursday will be postponed on account of
the Bates funeral.
Anderson said that HUD had approached him enlisting
his support on amendments to restore housing cuts. The
Johnson budget committed $14. 5 million to the fair housing
program; the Nixon budget, $10 million; the Appropriation
Committee, $3. 5 million. Anderson feels that Republicans
cannot sit "idly by" and fail to offer Floor amendments that
raise the spending commitment to the level projected in the
Nixon budget. Rhodes said that he hoped that Anderson
would not offer any amendments because they would be
defeated and this would lock the hands of the House conferees
in dealing with Senate amendments. Taft said that the
Democrats will offer the amendamis anyway. Ford said
that it would be appropriate to have Republican speeches in
support of a restoration of some cuts but that he hoped that
nothing would be done to offend Southern Democrats today
because this may cost us their votes on the surtax tomorrow.
Cramer raised the question of the transportation network in
the District of Columbia. RMN said that he had talked with
Hahn, Volpe and Mayor Washington and that they had agreed
to discuss the matter with Cramer and Ford in the near
future.
The President said "thank you" at 9:45 a. m.
RICHARD H. POFF
FORD LIBRARY STV>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 24, 1969
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESS CONFERENCE
OF
SENATOR EVERETT M. DIRKSEN
AND
CONGRESSMAN GERALD R. FORD
THE ROOSEVELT ROOM
AT 9:50 A.M. EDT
CONGRESSMAN FORD: Good morning.
The principal matter that was discussed this morning
was the situation involving the surtax in the House of
Representatives and also the prospects in the Senate.
The Committee on Ways and Means' Chairman and the
ranking Republican are going before the Committee on Rules
this morning and asking for a closed rule. The prospects
are that a closed rule will be granted and that the matter
will come before the House tomorrow, probably with an allocation
of four hours general debate and then a vote up or down.
I am confident that the House of Representatives will
pass the surtax. We will have 130 or more Republicans. I am
confident that with the cooperation of the Democratic leadership,
the Speaker, the Democratic Majority Leader and Majority
Whip, there will be more than enough votes to put the surtax
through as recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means.
SENATOR DIRKSEN: We discussed the surtax prospects
in the Senate, likewise. It is a rather singular thing, but
it has been discussed so little, either around the luncheon
table in the private dining room or in the cloak rooms, and
I presume it will not be discussed very much until the House
takes action.
But I feel reasonably confident that there will be a
pretty good vote in the House that will have a decided impact
on the Senate.
I believe, also, that the inflation issue is having
a real psychological impact in the country and that is going
to help the cause very materially. So we will get after the
problem as soon as the House has acted on it and I am pretty
confident that Senator Long will convene the Finance Committee
and then we will see where we will go from there. It hardly
needs very much attention. I would suggest that one day's
hearing would almost be enough and thereafter the Committee
could vote.
I thought maybe you might want a little rundown,
generally, on what we have in the House. Today we are going to
take up the Otepka nomination. Insofar as I know, the only speech
that will be made on the subject will be Senator Young of
Ohio.
MORE
GERALD FORD CIBRARY
(OVER)
- 2 -
We will also take up a resolution to expand the
authorization for the Food Stamp Program. It is non-
controversial. It should offer no difficulty.
There may be one or two other things and then we
will get back on Senate Resolution 85 introduced by
Senator Fulbright and passed by the Foreign Relations
Committee. There will be a substitute for it and insofar
as I can tell at the moment that may be introduced by Senator
Dodd and Senator Mundt, both of whom are on the Foreign
Relations Committee. We have had some sessions on the
matter. I have discussed it with Senator Sparkman on the
telephone, since he was in Alabama. I discussed it with
Senator Cooper. And we discussed it in our Policy Committee
last Tuesday. So this is the fruit of those efforts and
that language will be offered and, in my judgment, it, of course,
is decidedly better.
I made the point on the Senate Floor yesterday
that obviously the President must be opposed to a resolution
of this kind, regardless of the text that you undertake
to prepare, largely because it would almost look as if he were
sustaining an impairment of his Constitutional powers if he
undertook to be for it. That, obviously, he cannot do.
Probably one other point needs attention. The danger
always in a resolution of this kind, whether Senate Resolution
85 or a substitute, that it is so easy in all areas of the
world where they don't know too much about the niceties and
balances of Government in our Constitutional system, that
it could be misinterpreted and it could be misinterpreted at
home. But it offers something of a problem for every
Member of the Senate in the sense that if you try to put it
on the grounds of him embracing his responsibilities in the
field of foreign policy as a Senator and then somehow
reject the whole idea, that is a rather difficult thing to
defend. That was my principal interest in the matter.
Q
Other than the matter of surtax, what else
was discussed this morning with the Leadership and the
President?
CONGRESSMAN FORD: We had a very broad review of the
legislative agenda this week and those that are in prospect
in the future as far as the House was concerned and much the
same as far as the Senate.
Q
Did you discuss the appointment of an Assistant
Secretary of HEW?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: No.
Q
Senator, would you oppose Dr. John Knowles?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: Well, now, I said weeks ago that
I am not disposed to discuss the matter. I said at an
informal press conference on the Senate Floor yesterday,
in response to all the questions, that I do not discuss it, period.
That is it.
Q
Senator, on the surtax, how soon do you think
it will come to a vote in the Senate?
MORE
- 3 -
SENATOR DIRKSEN: That I can't say. You have to
adopt a rule. Then they have to act on the bill. There may
be four hours on the rule, I should say. .I hope we don't
take too much time in the Senate Finance Committee.
Once it is reported, of course, you can give it a
clear course and get action on the Floor without undue delay.
Q
Senator, what is the outlook on the ABM?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: Well, of course, I am very hopeful
about the ABM. I think, as you look, of course, at the
polls that have been taken among the public and how they
feel, that that is beginning to have its impact here. I have
no doubt that when the time comes we, of course, will certainly
be topside. The question now is how soon can you get to it.
That involves the Agricultural Appropriations Bill. It was marked
up yesterday and the Full Committee will mark up tomorrow.
Now, some Members don't want it to come up before the
4th of July because they will be out of town. So it offers
a bit of a problem.
On the other hand, to devote too much time to it after
we return on July 7th would not be quite the thing to do
in the sense that one of the Senators -- and perhaps I had
better not mention his name -- had planned to go out to Kwajalein
and they talked him out of it on the ground that this
ABM matter might come up immediately after we returned from the
July recess.
CONGRESSMAN FORD: On the ABM, I think it is rather
interesting that the authorization bill for the Atomic
Energy Commission is scheduled for consideration on the
Floor of the House today. It was scheduled for yesterday,
but was deferred because of Congressman Bates' death. But
in this authorization bill for the Atomic Energy Commission,
there is approximately $130-some million related to the ABM.
It is almost unbelievable, but the opponents of the
ABM will not rise up and challenge this authorization in the
House of Representatives.
We would rather welcome their bringing the issue up
on the Floor of the House, but they seem most reluctant,
which is an indication to me that they know that the ABM,
as recommended by the President, will be overwhelmingly approved
in the House of Representatives. I guess they would rather
take their chances in the Senate, but I think they will be
beaten there, too.
Q
Have you been informed of any delay in the
Administration's welfare proposals?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: No.
CONGRESSMAN FORD: I know of no delay.
Q
Did you discuss any upcoming messages this
morning?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: No.
FORD LIBRART
MORE
(OVER)
- 4 -
Q
Senator Dirksen, do you see any substantial
possibility that the surtax will be completed by the Senate
by June 30th?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: That is rather doubtful, I must
confess.
Q
Then in the event that it were not completed,
how will the matter be disposed of?
SENATOR DIRKSEN: We will have to be thinking in the
general domain of some continuing resolutions.
?
Jerry, since the Senator's lips are sealed
on the Knowles matter, can you tell us whether or not the
matter was discussed this morning?
CONGRESSMAN FORD: The matter was not discussed
this morning in the meeting with the President.
Q
This morning the President went on a helicopter
tour of the Washington area. Were the traffic problems of
the Washington area discussed and did the President have
any comments?
CONGRESSMAN FORD: After the meeting broke up, the
President talked about his trip by helicopter. I think an
effort is going to be made by Secretary of Transportation
Volpe to try and break the logjam. He has been working on
it and I think he is going to pursue these efforts more
in the next day or two.
I hcpe we can end up with a coordinated freeway and
subway system. This is the kind of solution that is needed
to meet the ever-growing traffic problems in the metropolitan
area of the District of Columbia.
Q
Did you get into Vietnam at all?
CONGRESSMAN FORD: None whatsoever.
Q
Was there any report on when the Administration
will come up with its Voting Rights proposal?
CONGRESSMAN FORD: That matter was not discussed.
END
AT 10:02 A.M. EDT
HOUSE ACTION, PERIOD JUNE 17 THROUGH JUNE 23, 1969
Tuesday, June 17, 1969
PUBLIC HEALTH CIGARETTE SMOKING ACT
RULE (OPEN)
The House adopted by voice vote, H.Res.437, providing 3 hours
debate.
MINORITY EMPLOYEES
The House passed by voice vote, H.Res.441, relating to salary
adjustments for certain minority employees of the House.
Wednesday, June 18, 1969
PUBLIC HEALTH CIGARETTE SMOKING ACT Continuation
PASSAGE
The House passed by voice vote H.R.6543, to extend public health
protection with respect to cigarette smoking.
The House rejected all amendments.
RECOMMIT
Prior to passage, the Brotzman motion to recommit the Bill to the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce was rejected by a
record vote of 137 yeas to 262 nays.
Thursday, June 19, 1969
YAKIMA RECLAMATION PROJECT
RULE (OPEN)
The House adopted H.Res.440 by voice vote, providing 1 hour debate.
PASSAGE
By voice vote, the House passed S.742, providing extension of the
Kennewick division, Yakima, Washington project.
FORD LIBRARY
- 2 -
Tuesday, June 24, 1969, and Balance of Week
H.R.12167 - To authorize appropriations to the Atomic Energy
Commission (Open Rule - two hours of debate)
H.J.Res.
- Making continuing appropriations for FY 1970
H.R.
- Independent Offices - Department of Housing and Urban
Development Appropriations Act, FY 1970
H.R.12290 - Relating to surcharge extension and investment credit
repeal (subject to a Rule being granted)
H.R.7906 - Interstate Taxation Act (Open Rule - two hours of debate,
making H.R.906 in order as an amendment)