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NOTE: This is an interim report on follow-up to the June 10 Policy Council meeting. MEMORANDUM ' THE URBAN COALITION ACTION COUNCIL June 14, 1968 TO: FROM: Members of-the Policy - Council John W. Gardner SUBJECT: Meeting with House _of Representatives Leadership, June 11, 1968 Andrew Heiskell, Arthur Fle mming, Clare nce Mitchell and I visited leading House members on June 11. We had conversations with Speaker McCormack, Majority Leader Carl Albert, Whip Hale Boggs, Appropriations Chairman George Mahon, Minority Leade r Ge r a ld Ford, and Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills. Although we talked about all of the various objectives of the Coalition, we gave special emphasis to the desirability of sparing the crucial urban programs in the $6 billion budget cut. We also stre ss e d the severe and v e ry imme diate nee d for the 75 million dollars for the OEO summe r job programs and the 25 million dolla rs fo r He a d s t art. We receive d the following reactions from the various me mbers of Congress: The Speak e r, Mr. Albe rt, Mr. Boggs . They did not wi s h t"o ma k e any cuts in the u r b a n p r o grams a n d hoped the Ur b a n Coalition would help the m p reve n t such cuts. They offere d hope that, if the Re publican l eadership would go along, the 75 million doll a rs for jobs could b e r es tore d in the r e gular supp l eme n t a l budge t. The Se n a t e would h ave t o a d d it. Th e y f e l t t h i s c ould b e done e v e n though the Pres ide nt h as not reques t e d it . The y told u s tha t Congr ess will c u t approx imately thr e e billion d o lla rs , l e aving the r es t t o t h e Pres ide nt, a nd fe lt tha t the Pres ide nt would h ave wide discreti on to p r ovide f u nding f o r u rban pro grams. · �- 2 - George Mahon. His attitude wa~ quite negative. He said that the Kerner report had cqntributed substantially to the unrest, and furthermore, the country could not buy its way out of -riots. He felt that whatever was done on the Hill would make no difference. When we stressed the need for 75 million dollars for the OEO summer job program·, he responded tb.at he had been told by the Bureau of the Budget that there would be 40% p e rcent more jobs this year than last and that although this was not the best situation, it was "pretty good". He did not explain how the Budget Bureau arrived at its estimate. Gerald Ford. Mr. Ford said Congress would cut around three billion dollars and the r e st would be lef t to the President. He was somewhat optimistic about the 75 million dollars for OEO summer jobs and stated that possibly this could be accomplished. He stressed that it could be accomplished far more easily, howe ve r, if the President were to ask for it. He indica t e d that if it were to come back from the Se nate it was poss ible tha t it could b e sustaine d in confere nce . Wilbur D. Mills. We had a long session with Mr. Mills who state d une quivocally tha t the $6 billion could be cut without touching any o f the crucia l progra ms f or the cities and the poor. He told us th a t Congre s s would cut a r ound thre e billion dollar s and sta ted further that cuts would be made in resea rch and deve lopment and foreign aid. He indicate d that h e favor e d the OEO p r o gram, and at the same time said tha t it wa s in s ome troub l e. The r e ques t i s '2 .18 billion dollars a n d h e stated t h a t Congress probably would a p p ropria te two billion. He said further tha t all n ew 11 s tarts 11 in public wo rks would b e stopped. The hi ghway p r o gram would con t inu e ; howe v er , n o n ew dams a n d o ther s u ch public works projects woul d b e b uilt. He said that t h e Bureau o f the Budge t and the Preside nt agree with this. I n add i t ion, h e said tha t h e be l ieved the Pres i dent was fully aware of the need to provide full funding for programs that affect urban areas. �