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Westbury, NY, February 12, 1966
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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The original documents are located in Box D19, folder "Westbury, NY, February 12, 1966"
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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 D19 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
Westbury, N. Y.
For release at time speech
Feb. 12, 1966
is delivered
As a minority party, 1t is our task to carry the torch of dissent responsibly
and constructively. This is our duty to all Americans.
Republicans are leading the way toward making America united, strong and free.
This is the always unfinished task.
The American people are restless and impatient with problems too long unsolved
and too often compounded by bad laws and bureaucratic failings.
Three types of problems in domestic policy need to be solved. The goals are:
how to increase jobs and output without inflation;
how to move ahead toward equality for all citizens;
how to improve government and its services.
While there are courses of action that strike at each of these problems, the
common remedy that effects all three is education.
Unemployment is particularly the problem of the young, inexperienced, unskilled
person of inadequate schooling. More and better schooling will reduce racial
tensions and speed the Negro's economic and social progress. Improved education
will help to solve the problems of government by enlightening the electors and
the elected.
Republicans believe every youth must be enccuraged to pursue his education as
far as his talents will take himo Drop-outs must be encouraged to go back to
school for an education or training to fit their ability. Curricula must be
enriched, People already working should be given the chance to retrain and upgrade
their skills and earning power. Vocational rehabilitation for the handicapped must
be expanded.
The Federal government alone cannot, and should not, achieve these goals. But
there is much that the national government can do without the heavy hand of
federal control.
For example, the Congress should ease the financial burden of going to college,
opening the door to education on a wider basis. Therefore, Republicans propose
a federal income tax credit for college students and their parents.
⑉ more -
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
Address by Congressman Gerald R. Ford, House Republican Leader
Page 2
"Republican Torch of Dissent"
We must liberate the War on Poverty from waste, controversy, and the bad
odor of political bossism, Management of the poverty program is a national
disgrace. Republicans are working very hard to expose the mistakes and the
poor administration.
These are a few examples of poor management of the war on poverty:
-- in Newport, Rhode Island, enrollees in the Youth Corps included the sons
of businessmen, a surgeon, an executive, a school official, and Naval
officers.
--- The New York Times reported that in our largest city the Harlem Youth
project had overspent $2 million in funds contributed to the program
by taxpayers.
--- The director of the Camp Breckinridge, Ky., Job Corps training center
was fired when it was learned his wife and the wives of 51 other middle
management employees were on the payroll. The camp had 350 staff members
for the 358 trainees.
The poor themselves must have an important role in policy decisions at the
community level. The States should be partners in this War on Poverty. It is
time the poverty fighters stopped fighting each other.
Republicans are offering specific proposals to redirect this program to
achieve its goals without waste, scandal and bureaucratic infighting. Without
such changes, the good will fall with the bad under the fiscal pressures created
by Vietnam and the massive new domestic spending programs.
*
*
*
The Executive Branch of Federal government has become a bureaucratic Jungle.
It needs reform, not Presidential repatching or piecemeal creation of new
departments. The time has come to explore its wild growth and to cut it back.
Republicans urge a new independent bipartisan Commission, patterned after the
two distinguished Hoover Commissions, to recommend substantial reforms in the
Executive Branch.
*
*
Healthy, stedy economic growth with price stability is seriously endangered
by the threat of inflation. The Eisenhower dollar is now worth 90 cents.
The cost of living is 2 percent higher than a year ago. The price rise is a
secret sales tax silently stealing some $8 billion annually from the pockets
of the American people.
-more-
Address by Congressman Gerald R. Ford, House Republican Leader
Page 3
"Republican Torch of Dissent"
Inflationary policies of the President have a major impact on the cost of
living. This Administration uses a double standard. With one hand it creates
upward pressure on prices and with the other bludgeons workers and businessmen
for responding to that pressure.
*
*
*
Congress and the people have not been given a straight-forward and realistic
assessment of our Federal budget problems. Republicans are giving the
President's budget a searching examination.
Whatever is needed---really needed---for national security must be provided.
Urgent domestic programs that truly help the needy, that contribute to real
economic growth, that significantly advance the cause of equal opportunity,
need not be sacrificed.
*
*
*
Laws passed last year, supposedly reducing taxes, actually impose a net
increase in Federal taxes for 1966 of $32 billion. The President now advocates
additional tax burdens to finance added costs both at home and abroad.
With prudent restraint on spending, we believe no new taxes are now
needed.
*
*
*
Ways must be found to eliminate vote fraud, curb the cost of political
campaigns, and expand the franchise. Republicans propose:
* to guard against abuses in the raising and use of political funds;
* to raise the ceiling on political expenditures to realistic levels;
* to bar effectively political contributions from corporations and unions;
* to require meaningful reporting of political contributions and spending.
*
*
*
The Congress has enacted four civil rights acts since 1957. There is a need
to review these laws, and especially tighten those designed to prevent violence
and intimidation of citizens who exercise their constitutional rights. Hesitant
administration of existing laws has made them less effective than they should be.
*
*
*
We are outnumbered two to one in this Congress. But we will continue to
speak out for the things in which we believe.
We will not sacrifice the ideals that make us Republicans!
#####
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
For release at time speech
is delivered
As a minority party, it is our task to carry the torch of dissent responsibly
and constructively. This is our duty to all Americans.
Republicans are leading the way toward making America united, strong and free.
This is the always unfinished task.
The American people are restless and impatient with problems too long unsolved
and too often compounded by bad. laws and bureaucratic failings.
Three types of problems in domestic policy need to be solved. The goals are:
how to increase jobs and output without inflation;
how to move ahead toward equality for all citizens;
how to improve government and its services.
While there are courses of action that strike at each of these problems, the
common remedy that effects all three is education.
Unemployment is particularly the problem of the young, inexperienced, unskilled
person of inadequate schooling. More and better schooling will reduce racial
tensions and speed the Negro's economic and social progress. Improved education
will help to solve the problems of government by enlightening the electors and
the elected.
Republicans believe every youth must be enccuraged to pursue his education as
far as his talents will take himo Drop-outs must be encouraged to go back to
school for an education or training to fit their ability. Curricula must be
enriched, People already working should be given the chance to retrain and upgrade
their skills and earning power. Vocational rehabilitation for the handicapped must
be expanded.
The Federal government alone cannot, and should not, achieve these goals. But
there is much that the national government can do without the heavy hand of
federal control.
For example, the Congress should ease the financial burden of going to college,
opening the door to education on a wider basis. Therefore, Republicans propose
a federal income tax credit for college students and their parents.
- more -
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
Address by Congressman Gerald R. Ford, House Republican Leader
Page 2
"Republican Torch of Dissent"
We must liberate the War on Poverty from waste, controversy, and the bad
odor of political bossism. Management of the poverty program is a national
disgrace. Republicans are working very hard to expose the mistakes and the
poor administration.
These are a few examples of poor management of the war on poverty:
in Newport, Rhode Island, enrollees in the Youth Corps included the sons
of businessmen, a surgeon, an executive, a school official, and Naval
officers.
The New York Times reported that in our largest city the Harlem Youth
project had overspent $2 million in funds contributed to the program
by taxpayers.
- The director of the Camp Breckinridge, Ky., Job Corps training center
was fired when it was learned his wife and the wives of 51 other middle
management employees were on the payroll. The camp had 350 staff members
for the 358 trainees.
The poor themselves must have an important role in policy decisions at the
community level. The States should be partners in this War on Poverty. It is
time the poverty fighters stopped fighting each other.
Republicans are offering specific proposals to redirect this program to
achieve its goals without waste, scandal and bureaucratic infighting. Without
such changes, the good will fall with the bad under the fiscal pressures created
by Vietnam and the massive new domestic spending programs.
*
*
*
The Executive Branch of Federal government has become a bureaucratic jungle.
It needs reform, not Presidential repatching or piecemeal creation of new
departments. The time has come to explore its wild growth and to cut it back.
Republicans urge a new independent bipartisan Commission, patterned after the
two distinguished Hoover Commissions, to recommend substantial reforms in the
Executive Branch.
*
*
*
Healthy, stedy economic growth with price stability is seriously endangered
by the threat of inflation. The Eisenhower dollar is now worth 90 cents.
The cost of living is 2 percent higher than a year ago. The price rise is a
secret sales tax silently stealing some $8 billion annually from the pockets
of the American people.
-more-