Memorandum from Jim Cannon to President Gerald R. Ford Concerning Enrolled Bill S. 6 - Education for All Handicapped Children

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- 5 - inconsistent with your desire to enhance State and local discretion Since a vote to override a veto is a virtual certainty, should you decide to approve the bill, we would suggest a signing statement pointing out that full imple- mentation of its provisions would not take effect for some time, and that you will recommend amendments that will maintain the appropriate division of Federal and State-local government roles in educating handicapped children and that will be workable within realistic appropriation levels. Mathews : "The bill, while falsely raising the expectations of what all levels of government can do is likely to impair our ability to deliver meaningful services to children by imposing unnecessary new administrative and proce- dural burdens on State and local educational agencies My hope would be that the President S veto would induce some alter- native legislation which would allow him to support this good objective in a sound fashion. Secretary Mathews has indicated privately that he would be very comfortable with your signing the bill. His written veto request was to assure that should you veto, no one would attempt to undercut your position by citing HEW's views. Friedersdorf: Recommends veto from a Congressional Relations point of view because of the importance of being consistent once we give a strong veto signal. But from a political standpoint, recognizes it might be advantageous to sign. Says an override is virtually certain. Marrs: Recommends approval. Buchen (Chapman) : "No objection to veto." Re FORD

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