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January 3, 1968 MEMORANDUM TO: Steering Committee FROM: Task Force on Legislation SUBJECT: Legislative Program for 1968 The two major Congressional issues in the Congress this year of paramount interest to the Coalition will be: 1) 2) The Proposed Emergency Employment Program; and Hous ing for low and mode r ate income families. On the issue of the Emergency Employment Program (the Public Service Employment Program) the President has indicated that the Administration will propose appropriate legislation if adequate r esources cannot be made available i n pri vate indus t ry. Congres s man Pe rk i ns of Kentuck y, Chairman o f the House Educ a tion Committee, promptly supported such legislation and offered to introduce an appropriate bill i n the House of Representatives. The program being discussed is basica lly patterned after the recommendations made by the Coal ition in its August 1967 Convocation. Senator Cla r k o f Pennsylva nia, Chairman o f t h e Labor Committee 's Sub commi ttee on Employme n t has indi c ate d tha t h e will re intr oduce a new and improved version of the Clark -Jav its-Prouty Bill which nearly passed the Senate l a st year . Senator Clark e xpects to a nno unc e hearings on the measure befo re the end of Fe bruary. All o f t h e maj o r u rban d e v e lopment programs s u ch as p ubl ic housing , urban renewal , mass transpo r t a t i o n, e tc., must be extend ed and anti-po verty legi slatio n must als o be refu nde d. Al s o ma jor l egi s la t i v e r e commenda tions a re in t he p r ocess o f b eing f o r mulated by the Kaiser Committee o n Urban Ho using . The Task Force r e commends that the Co a l ition can mo st r e alistical ly expect t o ma k e i t self helpful in achi e ving impro ved hous ing pro grams by deferri n g any a c tion on i ts own u nti l it h as had a cha n ce t o study the Kaiser Committee Re port. But the Coalition and its me mber s s hould act immediately to mars hall s upp o rt f o r a n Emergency Emp loyment pro gram a s end orsed b y the August Convention . Th is can be d o ne most effec t i vely by communicati ng support f o r such l egi slation to members of Congress. Chairman Perkins should be encouraged to introduce an appropriate bill. Al l Senato rs s hould be urged . t o j oin Senator Cl a rk as a co-sponsor for the Clark-Javits -Pro uty Bi ll. �