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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) The Proposed Emergency Employment Program; and
2) Housing for low and moderate 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 resources cannot be made available in private industry.
Congressman Perkins of Kentucky, Chairman of the House Education
Committee, promptly supported such legislation and offered to intro-
duce an appropriate bill in the House of Representatives. The pro-
gram being discussed is basically patterned after the recommendations
made by the Coalition in its August 1967 Convocation.
Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, Chairman of the Labor Committee's
Subcommittee on Employment has indicated that he will reintroduce
a new and improved version of the Clark-Javits-Prouty Bill which
nearly passed the Senate last year. Senator Clark expects to
announce hearings on the measure before the end of February.
All of the major urban development programs such as public housing,
urban renewal, mass transportation, etc., must be extended and
anti-poverty legislation must also be refunded.
Also major legislative recommendations are in the process of being
formulated by the Kaiser Committee on Urban Housing. The Task
Force recommends that the Coalition can most realistically expect
to make itself helpful in achieving improved housing programs by
deferring any action on its own until it has had a chance to study
the Kaiser Committee Report.
But the Coalition and its members should act immediately to
marshall support for an Emergency Employment program as endorsed by
the August Convention. This can be done most effectively by commu-
nicating support for such legislation to members of Congress. Chair-
man Perkins should be encouraged to introduce an appropriate bill.
All Senators should be urged _to join Senator Clark as a co-sponsor
for the Clark-Javits-Prouty Bill.