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{
    "localId": "193914",
    "label": "Special message to Congress on urgent national needs, 25 May 1961",
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    "id": "193914",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Special message to Congress on urgent national needs, 25 May 1961",
    "description": "This file contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's urgent message to Congress. In his address the President argues for increased defense spending and support for the nation's space program. Materials in this folder include a draft, press copies and a reading copy of the speech.",
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    "identifierLocal": "JFKPOF-034-030",
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        "Papers of John F. Kennedy: Presidential Papers: President's Office Files",
        "Speech Files"
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    "ocrText": "-16-\n(1) Therefore, under the authority vested in me by Reorganization\nPlan No. 1 of 1958, I am assigning responsibility for this program to the top\ncivilian authority already responsible for continental defense, the Secretary of\nDefense. It is important that this function remain civilian in nature and\ncommand; and this feature will not be changed. Responsibilities for pre-\nparedness programs in connection with health, food, manpower, transportation\nand other needs in the event of an attack will be assigned to the appropriate\ndepartment and agency heads, all of whom will work with State and local\nagencies. For their role remains an essential one.\n(2) The Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization will be reconstituted\nas a small staff agency to assist me in the coordination of these functions,\nunder the new title of \"Office of Emergency Planning\".\n(3) As soon as those newly charged with these responsibilities have\nprepared new authorization and appropriation requests, such requests will be\ntransmitted to the Congress for a much strengthened Federal-State civil\ndefense program. Such a program will include new requirements for shelter\nin Federal and Federally financed buildings, and will provide Federal funds for\nidentifying, in all areas, fallout shelter capacity in existing structures, and\nmatching grants or other incentives for constructing - - initially outside of\nprimary target areas -- fallout shelters in State and local government and\nprivate buildings.\nFederal appropriations for civil defense in fiscal 1962 under this\nprogram will in all likelihood be more than triple the pending budget requests;\nand they will increase sharply in subsequent years. Financial participation\nwill also be required from State and local governments and from private\ncitizens. But no insurance is cost-free; and every American citizen and his\ncommunity must decide for themselves whether this form of survival\ninsurance justifies the expenditure of effort, time and money. For myself,\nI am convinced that it does."
}