Muskie Congressional Record: 1968 Explain

1968 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD ENTRIES

ECONOMY, COMMERCE, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Potatoes: enable growers to finance research and promotion program (S. 2862), 601.

601; January 23, 1968; Notice of introduction by Senator Smith (R-Maine), with Muskie as an original cosponsor, of S.2862, a bill to enable potato growers to finance a nationally coordinated research and promotion program to improve their competitive position and expand their markets for potatoes by increasing consumer acceptance of potato products and by improving the quality of potatoes and potato products made available to the consumer.

Maine: sugar beet crop in, 5018.

Potato Farmers Swing To Sugar Beets, R. Metz, New York Times, 5018.

5018: This page reference is an error. The correct page reference is 5019

5019; March 4, 1968; Muskie says farmers in Aroostook and northern Maine have been able to reduce their over-dependence on the single crop of potatoes since the cultivation of sugar beets in the area began, and inserts a New York Times article by Robert Metz describing the improved economic climate in the region because of the sugar beet production.

Dow Air Force Base: conversion of, 5190.

Making a Safe Landing When an Airbase Goes, Business Week, 5190.

5190; March 5, 1968; Muskie notes that the city of Bangor has taken action to respond to the notice of the closing of Dow Air Force Base, even though base closings are an economic blow to communities, and inserts a Business Week magazine article describing how the community reacted by seeking alternative development of the Dow facility to make up for the $20 million annual wage loss by making the facility a commercial airport.

Excise tax rates on communications and automobiles: amend bill (H.R. 15414) to continue existing, 7834.

7834; March 27, 1968; Muskie is listed as an original cosponsor of a Randolph (D - West Virginia) amendment No. 675 to amendment No. 662 to H.R.15414, the Tax Adjustments Act of 1968. The purpose of the Randolph amendment was to strike a proposal in amendment No. 662 which would have imposed a moratorium on all public works projects.

Excise tax rates on communications and automobiles: bill (H.R. 15414) to continue existing, 8165, 8167-8169.

Public works projects: proposed moratorium, 8167-8169.

8165; March 28, 1968; During debate on H.R.15414; the Tax Adjustment Act, Muskie joins Randolph (D- West Virginia) in debating an amendment to establish a moratorium on all public works projects as a spending restraint in response to the weakening of the dollar. This debate highlights the impact of the war in Vietnam on the U.S. economy and on U.S. tax and spending policy at a time when the gold standard was still in effect. Muskie’s role in this debate (opposing the Williams (R-Delaware)-Smathers (R- Florida) amendment) is to point out that a moratorium on all public works projects would mean an abrupt stoppage to all sewage treatment plant construction.

8167-8169; March 28, 1968; In continued debate on the Randolph Amendment, Muskie points out that he disagrees with President Johnson on waste water funding when an attempt is made to suggest that his opposition to the Williams-Smathers proposal is inconsistent with support for the President.

Department of Agriculture and related agencies: amend bill (H.R. 16913) making appropriations for, 15292, 15326.

15292; May 28, 1968; Notice of introduction of a Hart (D-Michigan) amendment, with Muskie as one of the cosponsors, to H.R.16913, the Department of Agriculture appropriations bill.

15326; May 28, 1968; During debate on H.R. 16913, the Agriculture appropriation, Hart calls up his amendment (which is to fund the school food service program at the President’s proposed level), and in the course of his statement, mentions Muskie as a cosponsor, along with others.

Smith Storage in Mars Hill Packing Plant, Potato Councillor, 20983.

H. Smith Packing Co., 20983.

Maine: SBA aids potato farmers in, 20983.

Small Business Administration: potato farmers aided by, 20983.

20983; July 12, 1968; Muskie discusses the use of a small business loan by H. Smith Packing to upgrade and improve the potato handling and distribution system in Aroostook County, thus aiding the marketing of Maine potatoes. An article in Potato Councillor, the potato magazine, describes this company and its processing plant.

Commercial Fisheries Research and Development Act of 1954: extend provisions of (see bill S. 3866), 23242.

23242; July 25, 1968; Muskie is added as a cosponsor of S.3866, a Magnuson (D-Washington) bill to extend the provisions of the Commercial Fisheries Research and Development Act to extend the law for a further three years. Senator Magnuson pointed out that the law was set to expire in June 1969 and that state legislators might prove unwilling to finance the state share of research funds without better assurance that the federal matching funds would be authorized.

Paper: Maine's Austin Cary was Pioneer Forester, Isabel Whittier, 24573-24575.

24573-24575; July 31, 1968; Muskie notes that the state of Maine is observing the birthday of Austin Cary, a Maine native from Machias who became a national leader in forestry, particularly in the southern states, and includes an article about his life and achievements.

ENERGY

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Mid-West Electric Consumers Association, by, 4538.

4538; February 28, 1968; Senator Burdick (D-N. Dakota) inserts a Muskie speech to the Midwest Electric Consumer Association , at Omaha, Nebraska, in which Muskie discusses the regulation of utilities by the states, and the question of whether private utilities keep rates down when there is a public utility in the area. The lack of competition and adequate regulation was one of the issues Muskie raised in connection with the proposed Dickey Lincoln power project.

Resolution: Dickey-Lincoln project, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 8237.

8237; March 28, 1968; Extensions of Remarks. Muskie notes that at the annual meeting of the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association at Dallas, the group adopted a resolution in favor of the Dickey-Lincoln School hydroelectric project, and inserts a copy of that resolution in the Record.

Electric power: investigate costs, 22349.

New England: cost of electric power in, 22349.

Plan Study: Northeast Governors Talk Power Costs, Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus, 22349

Chief Executives Request New England Power Study, Burlington Free Press, 22349.

22349; July 19, 1968; Noting that New Englanders pay the highest electricity rates in the country, the New England Governors Association calls for the construction of the Dickey-Lincoln hydroelectric power project, and Muskie inserts two press stories illustrating the fact.

Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s Import project, 29513.

Occidental Petroleum's Corp.'s Import Project (sundry), 29514-29516.

29513, 29514-29516; October 3, 1968; In the House of Representatives, Congressman Robert Price (R-Texas) says that a free trade zone and oil refinery in Machiasport, Maine will undermine the domestic petroleum industry, end the oil import quota and make the U.S. reliant on oil from unreliable sources in the Middle East, and claims the Johnson Administration is pushing this deal through to help the Humphrey-Muskie ticket in the presidential election.

ENVIRONMENT, PARKS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, WILDLIFE

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Pollution: Federal program to control air, 283.

Press release: designation of air quality control regions, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 284.

Press release: standards to control air pollution from motor vehicles, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 284.

Automotive standards: control of air pollution. 284.

283; 284; January 18, 1968; Muskie discusses the federal designation of atmospheric air quality regions and inserts two releases from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare describing the atmospheric regions and the new standards promulgated to control auto emissions.

Solid waste disposal program: extend (see bill S. 3201), 3098.

3098; This page number reflects a misprint. The correct page number is 7098.

Conservation: President's message, 5975

Johnson, Lyndon B.: conservation message, 5975, 7098.

Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965: legislation to extend, 7098.

5975; March 11, 1968; Muskie makes a brief statement responding to President Johnson’s call for broader conservation efforts directed at coastal and ocean resources.

7098: March 20, 1968; Muskie introduces S.3201, a bill extending for one year the provisions of the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965; and notes that he is doing so in response to the President’s message on the environment, which included the suggestion that resource recovery as well as management of waste should be a goal of the nation’s solid waste program.

Ocean Eagle Disaster, by, 6089.

6089; March 12, 1968; Senator Case (R-New Jersey) describes his own involvement in oil spill legislation and inserts the text of a Muskie statement describing the oil spill disaster in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico caused by the breakup of the tanker Ocean Eagle.

Sewage treatment works: construction grants for, 7221.

Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968: introduction, 7221.

Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968: enact (see bill S. 3206), 7221.

Committee on Public Works: notice of hearings, 7221, 7222.

Pollution: water, 7221, 7222.

7221,7222; March 21, 1968; Muskie introduces S.3206, a bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The primary purpose of this bill was to modify the funding mechanism to allow the Interior Department to undertake long-term contracts with localities to pay the federal share of water treatment facilities over the life of the contract. The water pollution bill enacted by Congress in 1966 had authorized $3.4 billion for waste water treatment over 4 years, but the Johnson Administration had been requesting only $200-million-plus in appropriations, which did not meet the demands of states and localities for federal funding.

Editorial: To Save Nation, New York Times, 8212.

8212; March 28, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie inserts an editorial from the New York Times, lauding the Johnson administration’s record on conservation and endorsing much of the Johnson environmental program for conservation and pollution control.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare: establishing Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service, 18244.

Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service, 18244.

18244; June 21, 1968; Muskie responds to the Presidential creation of a Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service as an effective way for the federal government to fulfil its responsibilities to Americans in the environmental field. At this time, environmental pollution cleanup responsibilities were dispersed among a range of federal agencies, and this was one of the efforts to organize these responsibilities more rationally.

Water Pollution Control, Engineer News Record, 18245.

Water pollution, 18245.

18245; June 21, 1968; In a statement, Muskie opposes efforts to downgrade water quality itself as a goal of the clean water legislation and inserts an article called “Water Pollution Control is Tough” from Engineering News in the Record.

Oxides of sulfur: research in effects on health of, 18842.

Appropriations: bill (H,R. 17734) supplemental (second), 18842, 18843

Pollution: air, 18842, 18843.

18842, 18843; June 26, 1968; During debate on the Second Supplemental Appropriation, H.R. 17734, Muskie and others discuss the fact that funding for research into oxides of sulphur, as a constituent of air pollution, was not included by the House, and agree to seek funding in the regular H.E.W. appropriation bill. The conflict that arises between the need for new funding and an agreement to use a supplemental appropriation only for emergency spending that is illustrated by this debate is a common occurrence.

Committee on Public Works, 20126, 22528.

20126; July 8, 1968; Muskie reports from Public Works, with an amendment, S.3206, a bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended, relating to the construction of waste treatment works and to the conduct of water pollution control research. Report No. 1371.

22528; July 22, 1968; Muskie reports, from Public Works, S.3201, a bill to protect the public health by extending for one year the provisions on research and assistance for state and interstate planning for solid waste disposal. Report No. 1447.

Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968: bill (S. 3206) to enact, 20463-20471, 20474.

Pollution: legislation to control water, 20463-20471,20474.

Vessels: pollution from. 20466, 20467.

Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968: amend bill (S. 3206) to enact, 20466, 20468 .

Report: Provisions of S. 2525, Pollution From Vessels, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 20467.

20463; July 10, 1968; Muskie opens debate on S. 3206, the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968, by noting the great disparity between the funds authorized and the amounts actually appropriated for waste water treatment facilities. He expresses the concern that states unable to comply with water quality standards may in turn be able to cite lack of federal support as the central reason for a lack of adequate waste water treatment. He describes the differences between the bill as reported and the Administration’s bill as introduced, and points out that the Administration’s unacknowledged desire to end tax-exempt municipal bonds has complicated the financing of water treatment plants.

20466, 20467; July 10, 1968; Muskie introduces the language of S.2525, a bill to control pollution from boats as an amendment to the water bill, so as to ensure its consideration in the current year.

Essay: History of St. Croix Island, 22856.

Dedication of St. Croix National Monument, E. A. Connally and others, 22857-22859.

St. Croix Island: dedication, 22856.

22856; July 23, 1968; On the occasion of the dedication of St. Croix Island National Monument, Muskie inserts information about the history of the 1604 French settlement at St. Croix Island, and the dedication ceremony. Congress subsequently re-designated the National Monument as St. Croix Island International Historic Site in 1984, and it is jointly protected by the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada.

Water Quality Improvement Act of 1968, 30617.

30617; October 10, 1968; In the House of Representatives, Congressman Rostenkowski (D- Illinois) expresses his satisfaction that the water pollution control bill has been approved by the House and specifically thanks Senator Muskie for his role. At this time, Senator Muskie had become the vice presidential nominee for the Democratic Party, so statements highlighting his actions were more frequently made by Democratic members of the Congress.

NATIONAL SECURITY/FOREIGN AFFAIRS

1968 90th Congress, 2nd Session

Vietnam: President signs S. 1785 to aid public servants in, 245.

Signing of S. 1785, Aid for Public Servants in Vietnam, President Johnson, 245.

245; January 18, 1968; Muskie comments on the bill signing ceremony for the support of civilian workers in Vietnam, which provided for increased home travel and provisions for sick pay for A.I.D. and U.S.I.A. staff, and inserts the President’s brief remarks.

Newsletter: Christmas message, by, 310.

Interview: Vietnam for Japanese Broadcasting Co., by, 311.

310, 311; January 18, 1968; Muskie inserts the text of his newsletter about Vietnam and the war and of his interview with Japan Broadcasting, in which he also talks about the war in Vietnam.

Vietnam, University of Maine, Senator Mansfield, 3211.

Mansfield, Mike: University of Maine honors, 3211-3213.

Citation: Degree of Doctor of Laws to Senator Mansfield, University of Maine, 3213.

Editorial: Let Us Have More Front-Rank Visitors, Bangor News, 3213.

3211, 3213; February 16, 1968; Muskie inserts a speech by Senator Mansfield (D-Montana) at the University of Maine’s Founders’ Day, discussing the war in Vietnam and the U.S.S. Pueblo incident. On January 23, 1968, the U.S.S. Pueblo was attacked in international waters off the coast of North Korea, and the 82 surviving crew members were held prisoner in North Korea for eleven months. In addition, Muskie inserts a news story about Mansfield’s visit.

Vietnam Situation, by, 6628.

6628; March 14, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Representative Peter Kyros (D-Maine) inserts the text of Muskie’s newsletter to Maine outlining his ideas for a possible Vietnam settlement. Muskie had earlier inserted his newsletter along with a statement to Japanese broadcasting.

Israel: resolution (S. Res. 284) commemorating the 20th anniversary of the State of, 11540.

11540; May 2, 1968; Muskie joins other Senators in paying tribute to Israel on the 20^th anniversary of the birth of the Jewish state, saying that in a short two decades, the industrious people of Israel have telescoped hundreds of years of development and built a country. This excerpt illustrates the kind of views of Israel that prevailed in the Congress at this time.

Remarks in Senate: need for draft law revision, 30008.

University of Colorado, by, 30009.

30008; October 8, 1968; Senator Yarborough (D-Texas) inserts the text of a Muskie speech at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colo. about the military draft. Muskie was at this time campaigning for the Vice Presidency in the presidential election of 1968. At this time, the military draft affected all men aged 18½ to 25, with the oldest called up first. Changes made in the following year moved to a lottery system, but the broad-based use of deferments and the fact that an increasingly large proportion of those who served in the army came from lower-income and working families increased the general disgust with the unfairness of the draft, and it was finally ended in 1973. Registration was suspended in 1975, but re-instated in 1980. During the Vietnam conflict, 1,766,910 men were drafted into service.

Simchas Torah supported by, 31501.

31501; October 14, 1968; In the House of Representatives, Congressman Herbert Tenzer inserts a letter from Vice President Humphrey and Muskie supporting the demonstrations by Americans of Jewish descent against the restrictions imposed by the Soviet Union on Jewish persons living in the U.S.S.R. at the time. These demonstrations were carried out on the Jewish festive day of Simchas Torah, a time when Jews celebrate the Torah and what it means to the Jewish people.

FEDERALISM, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Committee on Government Operations, 600, 601, 22981.

Committee on Government Operations: authorize study of intergovernmental relationships between United States and the States and municipalities (see S. Res. 221), 601, 602.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968: Committee report, 22981.

600,601; January 23, 1968; Muskie reports from Government Operations Committee a resolution, S. Res. 221, authorizing a study of intergovernmental relationships between the United States and the states and municipalities. The full text of the resolution is shown, as well as the notice of filing.

602; This page reference is an error. The correct page reference is 2606.

2606; February 8, 1968; A report was submitted on S. Res. 221, a resolution authorizing a study of intergovernmental relationships between the United States and the States and municipalities, Report No. 992, on behalf of Muskie, along with numerous other committee business reports filed by Senator Jordan from the Rules Committee.

22981; July 14, 1968; Muskie reports S.698 from the Committee on Government Operations, a bill to improve cooperation between the federal, state and local levels of government; Report No. 1456.

Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations: annual report of the, 3762

Report: Highlights in Intergovernmental Relations in 1967, excerpts from Ninth Annual Report of the ACIR, 3763.

3762, 3763; February 21, 1968; Muskie makes a statement noting the issuance of the 9^th annual report from the Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations, which focused much of its attention on urban riots and the national response to them. A brief synopsis of this portion of the report was reproduced.

Citizens Conference on State legislatures, Johns Hopkins University, by 3769.

3769; February 21, 1968; Senator Tydings (D-Maryland) inserts the text of a Muskie speech about the shortcomings of state legislatures and state and local governments.

North-Central Texas Council of Governments: success, 5196.

5196; March 5, 1968; Muskie speaks of the progress made by the North Central Texas Council with respect to the problems and challenges facing local governments, and reports that the creation of a regional body such as the Council holds out hope of greatly improved local administration.

Intergovernmental Relationships in Changing Society, John W. Macy, Jr., 10009,10010.

10009,10010; April 18, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie inserts the text of a speech by the Chairman of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, John W. Macy on the changes in intergovernmental relationships to the National Conference on Public Administration of the American Society for Public Administration at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel, in Boston.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968: hearings on, 10278.

Committee on Government Operations: notice of hearings 10278, 11147.

10278; April 23, 1968; Muskie announces hearings to be held on the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, S.698, which is designed to improve the way federal grants, personnel sharing, congressional review, and technical assistance are coordinated, for May 9 and 10, and continuing on May 14,15, and 16.

11147; May 1, 1968; Muskie announces further hearings on S.698, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act for May 21,22, 23 and 26.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968: proposed amendments, 12334.

Intergovernmental cooperation: amend bill (S.698) to improve operation of Federal systems, improve grants-in-aid to States, through, 12334.

Text of proposed amendment (No. 748) to S. 698, Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, 12335.

12334, 12335; May 8, 1968; Muskie introduces amendments to his own bill, S.698, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, the purpose of which is to replace the individual agency audits of state and local governments with a government-wide system of auditing and reporting that would be under the direction of the General Accounting Office.

State Government at the Crossroads, John Hopkins University, B. Black, 13384.

13384; May 15, 1968; Muskie inserts the text of a speech by Mr. Brady Black, editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer and a member of the board of trustees of the Citizens Conference on State Legislatures, in which he discusses the role of state legislatures in a speech called “State Government at the Crossroads.”

Executive branch of the Government: establish commission to study organization, operation, and management bill of (see S. 3640), 17128.

17128; June 13, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of a number of cosponsors of a Ribicoff (D-Connecticut) bill, S.3640, the Executive Reorganization and Management Act, a bill to establish a commission to study the organization, operation and management of the executive branch of the Government and to recommend changes necessary or desirable in the interest of governmental efficiency and economy.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968: bill (S. 698) to enact, 24056, 24057.

24056,24057; July 29, 1968; Muskie calls up the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, S.698, notes that it combines two bills of the prior Congress, S.561, and the Uniform Relocation Act, both of which were approved in the Senate but not in the House. After Muskie briefly describes the Titles of the bill, and a brief comment from the ranking Republican on the Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee, Senator Mundt (R-Nebraska) the bill is passed on a voice vote.

Executive branch: more effective management of, 24142.

24142; July 30, 1968; Muskie comments that remarks made by President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey and the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare about the office of the presidency all bear resemblance to the recommendations found in his own bill, to create a national executive council in the office of the president.

HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAMS

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Social Security Act: improve program of aid to families with dependent children (see bill S. 2893), 1659.

Social Security Act: revise certain public assistance provisions (see bill S. 2892), 1659.

1659; January 31, 1968; Muskie is shown as an original sponsor of two bills, a Harris (D-Oklahoma) bill, S.2892, and a Kennedy (D- New York) bill, S.2893. The first was to amend the Social Security Act to revise a provision passed the previous year which linked an effort to enact an annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients with a freeze on spending for federal welfare programs. The second was designed to roll back certain 1967 provisions of the Social Security Act affecting the work requirements for women with young children in the home. The Congress did not approve a cost-of-living adjustment, and as a result, welfare program spending was frozen at the prior year’s level.

Welfare programs: need for study of, 1666.

Social Security Act: proposal to amend welfare and medicaid provisions of, 1666

Aid for dependent children program, 1666

1666; January 31, 1968; Muskie speaks briefly about the Harris bill, S. 2892 and the Kennedy bill, S.2893, when they are introduced, and describes the changes they are designed to make to the 1967 law affecting welfare recipients.

Social Security Act: define term "disability" (see bill S. 2935), 2203.

2203; February 6, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of numerous original sponsors of S.2935, a Metcalf (D-Montana) bill to amend Title II of the Social Security Act so as to provide that the definition of the term “disability” in the Act shall be the same as that in effect prior to the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1967. Efforts to curb the application of the disability provisions of Social Security increase whenever the disability benefit rolls rise, and usually take the form of stricter definitions of disability.

Social Security Act: include, under health insurance benefits, coverage of certain drugs, (see bill S. 2936), 2204.

2204; February 6, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the original sponsors of a Montoya (D-New Mexico) bill, S.2936, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act so as to include among the health insurance benefits covered under part B of the Medicare program, coverage of prescription drugs after an initial annual deductible and subject to a 20% copayment. This proposal would have permitted Medicare recipients to enroll in the drug-reimbursement insurance program.

White House Conference on Aging: President to call (see S.J. Res. 117), 4242

4242; This page number is incorrect.

The permanent Record indicates pp. 5460 and 10858 for cosponsors, but Muskie is not listed in either location. The resolution passed on May 6, 1968 but there is no accurate reference to the introduction of this resolution with cosponsors on the Senate floor. The bill was introduced on the Senate on October 18, 1967, and Muskie is not shown as an original sponsor, nor was he added as a sponsor later that year. The index reference would seem to suggest that he became a cosponsor (which is in line with his record) but the permanent record page on which this fact is recorded cannot be retrieved from the available indexes.

Johnson, Lyndon B.: veteran's message, 5018.

Veterans: President's message, 5018.

5018; March 4, 1968; Muskie responds to President Johnson’s legislative message on veterans programs by endorsing the changes proposed in life insurance coverage, GI home loans and priority for public employment jobs.

Teachers-in-Politics Weekend, 9161.

9161; April 5, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie says he has learned that the National Education Association has designated the weekend of April 5 to 7 as Teachers-in-Politics Weekend, a time to focus attention on the fact that educational policy decisions are political decisions and that teachers must take an active part in helping shape those policies. He says he is happy the Maine Teachers Association will participate and that this will be a valuable exercise. Muskie is one of several Members from both sides commenting on the weekend.

National School Lunch Act: bill (H.R. 15398) to amend to strengthen food service programs for children, 9728.

Day-care Institutions: food program for, 9728.

Children: food service program, 9728

9728; April 11, 1968; During debate on H.R.15398, the National School Lunch Act, Muskie comments on the importance of school food service programs, and endorses the proposal to increase the funding from the amount proposed by the Senate Committee. This excerpt from the debate illustrates the broad appeal these programs enjoyed at this time.

Vietnam veterans: assist in obtaining employment (see S.J. Res. 137), 9865

9865; April 17, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the cosponsors of a Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) resolution, S. J. Res. 137, to assist veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States who have served in Vietnam or elsewhere in obtaining suitable employment.

School lunch program: bill (H.R. 15398) to strengthen and expand, 9891.

9891; April 17, 1968; During debate on H.R.15398, the National School Lunch Act, Muskie makes a further statement in support of the Hart (D-Michigan) motion to make his amendment a substitute for the bill reported by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs(Senate, Select) : establish (see S.Res. 281), 10789.

10789; April 26, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the original cosponsors of the McGovern (D- South Dakota) resolution, S. Res. 281, to establish a select committee of the Senate on hunger and human nutritional needs. The purpose of the Committee is to recommend to the Senate appropriate procedures for coordinated programs to cope with malnutrition.

Smithsonian Programs for Older People, Aging, 13140.

Older persons: challenge of later years, 13140.

Charles 0. Abbot, Aging (magazine), 13140.

13140; May 14, 1968; Muskie comments on the fact that May is Senior Citizens Month and inserts an article describing how a non-profit organization is helping bring the resources of the Smithsonian Institution to retirees in the D.C. area, and the work habits of a 96-year-old former head of the Smithsonian.

Veterans: remove time limit applicable to on-the-job training courses for certain (see bill S. 3496), 13358.

Text of S. 3496: remove 2-year time limit on on-the-job training courses for veterans, 13359

Veterans: remove 2-year time limitation on on-the-job training courses for, 13359.

13358; 13359; May 15, 1968; Muskie introduces S. 3496, a bill to eliminate the two year time limit in current law which applies only to on-the-job training programs for veterans, and describes the proposal. The bill would have the effect of changing the definition for which on-the-job training programs are eligible under the GI bill.

York, Frances P.: 72-year-old high school graduate, 13381.

Great-Grandmother Is Proudest Graduate, M. Sinclair, Portland Press Herald, 13382.

13381, 13382; May 15, 1968; Muskie inserts an article from the Portland Press Herald which lauds a 72-year-old great-grandmother for receiving her high school diploma.

Department of Agriculture and related agencies: bill (H.R. 16913) making appropriations for, 15325, 15537.

School breakfast-lunch program, 15537.

15325; May 28, 1968; Muskie confirms the details of a unanimous consent agreement on the Agriculture Department appropriation, in response to a query from Senator Holland (D-Florida).

The rules of the Senate allow each Senator the right to unlimited debate on any issue, so Senate debate on bills proceeds under a “unanimous consent” agreement, by which every Senator agrees to a time limit on debate. When agreements cover bills with numerous or controversial amendments, their details can be complex and confusing, so it is common for Senators to inquire about who is permitted to speak and for how under an agreement. Usually, the Senate Majority Leader will answer such questions, but when he is absent from the Chamber, he can deputize another Senator to respond in his place. At this time, Muskie was often tapped to take on such chores.

15537; May 29, 1968; During debate on H.R.16913, the Agriculture appropriation, Muskie speaks briefly about Senator Hart’s school lunch amendment, which is designed to be a federally funded complement to the existing school lunch program and to finance school lunches for children whose parents cannot afford the school lunch fee, even on a reduced basis.

Commencement, Hampden-Sydney College, Senator Spong, 20978.

20978; July 12, 1968; Muskie inserts a text of Senator Spong’s (D-Virginia) commencement address at Hampden-Sydney, Va., the college of which Spong is a graduate.

Job Corps Center at Poland Spring, Maine: tribute, 24139.

Sanders Associates, Inc., 24139.

24139; July 30, 1968; Muskie describes how Sanders Associates, a Maine firm, cooperated with the Jobs Corps program when it opened its facility in Portland. Sanders manufacturers antisubmarine equipment and oceanographic equipment.

Department of Labor, and Health, Education, and Welfare, and related agencies: amend bill (H.R. 18037) making appropriations for, 25584, 25933.

25584; September 4, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of a number of cosponsors of a Nelson (D- Wisconsin) amendment, no. 934, to the Labor Hew appropriations bill, H.R. 18037. The amendment would have funded the Teacher Corps, a program to provide teachers for low-income school modeled on the Peace Corps program.

25933; This page number is mistaken. On p. 25934, September 6, 1968, Senator Nelson mentions the 24 cosponsors of his amendment without listing their names. Presumably, the erroneous index entry reflects this.

Upward Bound Program, Smithsonian Institute of History and Technology, by, 26324.

26324; October 10, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Representative Hathaway (D-Maine) inserts the text of a Muskie speech given at a showing of a short film on the Upward Bound program, one of the War on Poverty programs funded through the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Statement: Educational Publication "Selections Review," by 31911.

31911; October 14, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Congressman St. Onge (Connecticut) comments on a publication aimed at high school students which uses the actual text of Congressional debates as a teaching tool. He notes that it has been endorsed by a number of leading public officials, including Muskie.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, CRIMINAL LAW, CIVIL RIGHTS

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Civil rights: President's message, 1140.

Johnson, Lyndon B.: civil rights message, 1140.

1140; January 26, 1968; Muskie speaks in support of President Johnson’s legislative message on civil rights legislation, and endorses his call for additional legislation particularly aimed at giving the federal government the tools needed to combat violence against black Americans without the need to prove conspiracy on the part of the State. Although the fundamental civil rights laws had been passed several years earlier, resistance on the part of some regions led to violence and served to undermine protections for blacks seeking to exercise the right to vote and other constitutionally-guaranteed rights.

Civil rights: amend bill (H.R. 2516) to prescribe penalties for interference with, 2272, 3082.

2272; February 6, 1968; In the course of debate on a bill which provides penalties for the deprivation of civil rights, Muskie is listed as one of the sponsors of the Mondale-Brooke amendment, a proposal to begin applying public accommodations and access rights to the sales of privately-owned housing.

3082; February 15, 1968; Muskie’s name is added as a cosponsor of the Mondale-Brooke open housing amendment to the pending civil rights bill.

Cloture petition, 3236, 3807. 4064, 4576, 4844,4847,4860.

3236; February 16, 1968; Muskie is a signatory to the cloture petition filed by Mansfield (D-Montana) on H.R.2516, the bill to prescribe penalties for certain acts of violence or intimidation, a civil rights bill intended to protect civil rights even when no “conspiracy” exists to deny such rights.

3807; February 21, 1968; Muskie is a signatory on a second cloture petition filed on H.R. 2516, a bill to prescribe penalties for interference with civil rights. The issue arose over the Mondale housing access amendment (of which ESM was a cosponsor) but which was blocked by opponents.

4064; February 26, 1968; Muskie is a signatory on a cloture petition on the housing amendment of the civil rights penalties bill, H.R.2516.

4576; February 28, 1968; Muskie is a signatory on a cloture petition filed on H.R.2516, civil rights penalties bill.

4844; March 1, 1968; Muskie is a signatory on a cloture petition on the civil rights bill, H.R.2516.

4847; March 1, 1968; Muskie is a signatory on a cloture petition to cut off debate on the civil rights penalties bill, H.R.2516.

4860: This page reference is an error.

Cloture is the term used to describe the process by which a filibuster can be ended in the Senate. At this time, the requirement was that a cloture petition, signed by no fewer than 16 Senators, be presented to the Senate, by being formally presented to the desk where Senate business is filed, and that a cloture vote, a vote on the petition, be held no sooner than 48 hours thereafter. A successful cloture vote in 1968 required the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the Senators in the Chamber at the time, a high hurdle to overcome.

A filibuster is the name used when a minority of the Senate decides to exercise the right of “unlimited debate.” This right means that no Senator can be denied the floor once he has obtained it and is speaking. In theory this means that a minority view has the right to be heard at length so that a headstrong majority has the opportunity to reconsider an issue and take into account valid arguments that may have been overlooked. In practice, the filibuster has been most notoriously used by Southern Senators seeking to block civil rights bills.

Civil rights: bill (H.R. 2516) to prescribe penalties for interference with 3252, 3253, 4063.

Civil rights: extend fair housing, 3252, 3253

Housing: extend fair, 3252, 3253.

3252; February 16, 1968; During debate on the Civil Rights bill, H.R. 2516, Muskie comments on the need for fair housing laws at the national level, pointing out that only 27 states have any kind of fair housing law on the books. The problem of racially segregated neighborhoods has remained an issue in many parts of the country, and this debate was one of the earlier ones to grapple with the problem.

Resolution: equal opportunity, U.S. Conference of Mayors, 4063.

4063; February 26, 1968; In debate on the civil rights bill, H.R. 2516, a fair housing amendment has been subject to extended debate, and a vote on a cloture motion is pending, when Muskie speaks briefly on the issue of fair housing and inserts the resolution passed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors on the subject. This debate excerpt gives a flavor of the passions that were aroused by the proposal that

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1967: bill (S. 917) to enact, 14754-14756, 14769.

14754-14756; May 23, 1968; During debate on the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, S.917, Muskie speaks on the grant program and against a Dirksen (R-Illinois) amendment which would channel all law enforcement assistance funds through the states. This is one of the debates that highlights the arguments over whether there ought to be a direct federal-local relationship or whether all federal relationships should be mediated through the states. This has been an enduring element of the federalism debate over the years.

Firearms: control interstate traffic in (see bill S. 3633), 16914.

16914; June 12, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the cosponsors of S.3633, a Dodd (D-Connecticut) bill to amend Title 18, U.S.C., to provide for better control of the interstate traffic in firearms, with a sequential referral to Judiciary and Commerce.

Firearms: require registration (see 3634), 17368.

17368; June 17, 1968; Muskie is added as a cosponsor to a Tydings (D-Maryland) bill, S. 3634, to disarm lawless persons and assist state and federal enforcement agencies in preventing and solving gun crimes by requiring registration of all firearms and licenses for purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition and to encourage responsible state firearms laws. Maine at this time was a state where public opinion was firmly against broad gun control legislation. Muskie himself was also a sportsman, as were many in Maine. The demand for firearms controls in 1968 was fueled by the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, in April and June respectively.

Problems of Crime, by, 26027.

26027; September 26, 1968; In Muskie’s absence, Senator Harris (D - Oklahoma) inserts a brief statement by Muskie introducing an article on planning in the criminal justice field by the Deputy Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Assistance at the Justice Department. Muskie saw the problem of crime control as part of the overall problems generated by intergovernmental efforts in other fields, and was a strong proponent of planning as a means of making such programs work.

Convention of the Polish American Congress, by, 31443.

31443; October 14, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Representative Roman Pucinski (D-Illinois) inserts the text of Muskie’s speech to the Polish American convention, in which he links the pride of the Polish to the need for racial justice in the United States, and asks for the votes of the delegates.

MISCELLANEOUS

1968 2^nd Session, 90^th Congress

Article: Backstage in Crisis News, D. Larrabee, Portland Telegram, 3231.

3231; February 16, 1968; Muskie inserts an article by Don Larrabee from the Portland Telegram about the roles of governmental press secretaries in disseminating news about policy initiatives on behalf of the federal government.

McNamara, Robert S.: tribute, 5464.

Gardner, John W.: tribute, 5464.

5464; March 6, 1968; Muskie comments on the retirements on Robert S. McNamara, as Secretary of Defense, and John H. Gardner, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, saying both men bought special qualities to their cabinet posts.

State of Maine (sundry), 8219, 8220.

8219,8220; March 28, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie inserts articles from the Winter 1968 edition of Maine Digest magazine, about cruising the coastline and lobster fisheries by canoe, and about the 150^th anniversary of the State of Maine.

Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation, 8234.

8234; March 28, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie describes the summer program for young musical instrumentalists to play with an established conductor under the aegis of the Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation. Muskie is honorary sponsor of the Foundation, which is headquartered in Hancock.

Watson, Marvin: nomination, 9716.

O'Brien, Lawrence F.: tribute, 9716.

9716; April 11, 1968; Muskie comments briefly on the nomination of Marvin Watson to be Postmaster General, a post previously held by Larry O’Brien.

Memorial Service for Martin Luther King, F. M. Coffin, 10500.

10500; April 24, 1968; Muskie inserts a Frank Coffin speech on the recent assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, given at a memorial service for King at Portland High School, April 7.

Kennedy, Robert F.: eulogy, 16161.

Violence: problem, 16161.

16161; June 6, 1968; On June 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York, the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, was in Los Angeles, awaiting the outcome of the state’s Democratic primary election. At 11:30 p.m., with the polls indicating a victory, he went to the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel to greet his supporters. At 12.15 a.m., he left the ballroom and walked through part of a food preparation area towards the waiting press corps. In the kitchen of the hotel, he was shot three times by a Palestinian-born individual, Sirhan Sirhan, and died following an operation at 1:44 a.m. on June 6. Muskie gave a brief eulogy on his death later in the day.

Brotherhood and Conciliation, Maine State Society, E.M. Curran, 17395

17395; June 17, 1968; Muskie announces that the Maine State Society awarded Judge Edward M. Curran the “Big M” award and inserts the text of Curran’s speech, which is focused on reconciliation and brotherhood and the need for both.

Kennedy, Robert F.: memorial tribute, 24118.

24118; July 30, 1968; Muskie pays tribute in a personal statement about the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on the eve of what would have been his victory in the California Democratic primary election sent a shock wave through the Senate and the nation. Not only did it remind Americans of the assassination, five years earlier, of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, it came on the heels of the killing of Dr. Martin Luther King, the most widely-known and respected civil rights leader of his time just several months before, in April, 1968.

Odom, Lewis G,: tribute, 24633.

Letter: tribute to Lewis 0. Odom, by, 29991.

24633; August 1, 1968; Muskie gives a brief statement about the departure of Lewis Odom, Chief of Staff and General Counsel to the Banking Committee to return to the private practice of law.

Tribute to Senator Hayden, by, 30433.

30433; October 10, 1968; In Muskie’s absence, Senator Mansfield (D-Montana) inserts a brief tribute to Senator Carl Hayden (D-Arizona) at the time the longest-serving Senator in history, with 42 years’ service in the Senate to his credit. Hayden was elected to the House of Representatives when Arizona became a state and served both in the House and Senate from 1912 to the end of 1968.

POLITICS, CAMPAIGN REFORM

1968 90th Congress, 2nd Session

Television program: Congress, 1968, NET Network, 2767-2775.

2767; February 8, 1968; Congressman Frederick D. Schwengel (R-Iowa) inserts the text of a National Educational Television Network interview summing up the 1967 session of Congress in which Muskie is one of four Members of Congress participating. The National Educational Television Network was a privately-funded organization which produced educational and public affairs programming for noncommercial television stations. Congress approved the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 in November 1967, and within 3 years, NET had been folded into one of the new PBS stations in New York. This interview was typical of the kind of programming which NET produced. Muskie appeared on the show in large part because during the 90^th Congress, he served as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

U.S. Loans to Muskie Associates Called Unethical, William Langley, Maine Telegram, 5922.

5922; March 11, 1968; In the House of Representatives; Congressman H.R. Gross (R-Iowa) says press reports of influence peddling in Maine are worse than he first reported and inserts an article from the Maine Sunday Telegram about loans to a Muskie “associate.”

Essay: Luck of the Irish, E. W. Herer, 6935.

6935; March 19, 1968; Muskie inserts an article by a constituent, Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson Herer of Bucksport, about “The Luck of the Irish” as a salute to St. Patrick’s Day. The publishing of constituents’ poetry, essays, and letters in the Congressional Record is a long-standing habit of Senators and Congressmen. Muskie’s use of the privilege was rather modest, but the practice has at times drawn criticism for the amount of paper and the expense of typesetting it once involved.

Paper: Participation in ad hoc committee to confer with SCLC, 14835.

14835; May 23, 1968; Senator Brooke (R-Massachusetts) announces the formation of an informal ad hoc committee to provide liaison and communications with representatives of the poor, and provide assistance in arranging appearance before the relevant congressional committees. The informal committee grew out of a meeting between the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the leader of the Poor People’s campaign and a bipartisan group of 75 Senators and Representatives. Muskie is listed as one of the members.

Editorial: Muskie as Vice Presidential Candidate, St. Louis (Mo.) Post Dispatch, 26023.

26023; September 6, 1968; Senator Moss (D-Utah) inserts a news article describing the political factors that have gone into the selection of Muskie as the vice presidential nominee for the Democratic ticket in 1968.

Beg Your Pardon, Chicago Tribune, 26616.

UPI corrects error, 26616.

26616; September 12, 1968; In House proceedings, Representative Roman Pucinski (D-Illinois) draws attention to a UPI story which is a correction of a false report that Muskie had compared Illinois police with a Russian police state, and reproduces Muskie’s actual words.

Senator's Mother, Sandor Palster, New York Post, 27081.

27081; September 16, 1968; Representative Pucinski (D-Illinois) inserts a news story about Muskie’s mother, describing her life briefly and her influence on her son in the context of his candidacy for the vice presidency.

Muskie of Maine, Warren Hoge, New York Post, 27086.

27086; September 16, 1968; Representative Roman Pucinski (D-Illinois) inserts the text of an article from the New York Post which describes Maine reaction to Muskie’s selection as the Vice Presidential nominee and provides some biographical information about him.

Muskie Is a Man at Peace With the Hard Facts, L. Wainwright, Life, 29154.

29154; October 2, 1968; Senator Mansfield (D-Montana) inserts a news story about Muskie as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party which concludes that of all three candidates running – Richard Nixon, George Wallace, and Hubert Humphrey – Muskie was the most attractive and perhaps should be at the top of the ticket instead.

Rewarding Experience for Senator Muskie, M. Childs, Washington Post, 29864.

29864; October 7, 1968; Senator McGee (D-Wyoming) inserts a news report from the Washington Post describing the phenomenon of Muskie’s popularity on the campaign trail. During the course of the presidential campaign, Muskie became more popular than Vice President Humphrey, the man at the top of the ticket, and there was speculation that had he been at the top of the ticket, it may well have won. The 1968 election was won by the Nixon-Agnew ticket on a narrow margin, 43.4% against 42.7% for Humphrey (Governor George Wallace of Alabama took 13.5% running as an independent) and the conventional wisdom had it that if the campaign had lasted a week longer, the Democratic ticket would have won. Like all hindsight, this viewpoint is a matter of opinion, not provable fact.

Whatever the Outcome May Be, Ed Muskie Is Bound To Win, W. S. White, Washington Post, 31278.

31278; October 14, 1968; Senator McGee (D-Wyoming) inserts a column by William White on the Muskie vice presidential candidacy which concludes that regardless of the electoral outcome, Muskie has become a serious and worthy political player as a result of the campaign.

Remarks in House: 1964 vote against presidential debates, 31495.

31495; October 14, 1968; In the House of Representatives, Congressman William C. Cramer (R- Florida) says that the demand of the Democratic ticket for presidential debates between the Humphrey and Nixon is hypocritical because they voted against mandatory presidential debates in 1964. In most elections, the candidate in the lead wishes to avoid debates; the candidate not in the lead prefers debates. At this time, debates had not yet become a generally accepted element of a presidential campaign.

SENATE RULES, PROCEDURES, ASSIGNMENTS, HOUSEKEEPING

1968 90th Congress, 2nd Session

Appointed conferee, 2555, 3751, 20876, 21963, 27162.

2555; February 7, 1968; Muskie is appointed as a conferee on S.5, The Consumer Credit Protection Act.

3751; February 21, 1968; Muskie is appointed as a conferee on S.1155, the Export-Import Bank bill.

20876; July 11, 1968; Muskie is appointed as a conferee on S.3497, the Housing and Urban Development Act.

21963; July 18, 1968; Muskie is appointed as a conferee on S.3710, the Rivers and Harbors bill.

Because both Houses of Congress must agree on all elements of a bill before it can be placed before the President to be signed into law, temporary committees of conference are created to meet and iron out differences in the two versions of the bill as passed by each House. Service on a conference committee can be extremely significant to the final shape that a law takes.

A conference committee is usually made up of the relevant committee members from both Houses of Congress. A conference report, embodying the compromises reached, must then be approved by each House again before the bill can be sent to the President for his signature.

Tributes in Senate, 3768, 17605, 20472, 20474, 29154, 29864, 31277.

3768; February 21, 1968; Senator Tydings pays tribute to Muskie as he inserts a Muskie speech to a Citizens Conference on State Legislatures held at Johns Hopkins University. To read the speech, click here.

17605; June 18, 1968; Senator Mansfield (D-Montana), the Senate Majority Leader, compliments Muskie on his managements of the Export-Import bank bill.

20472; July 10, 1968; Mansfield (D-Montana) compliments Muskie on his handling of the Clean Water Act, S.3206;

29154; October 2, 1968; As he inserts a news story about Muskie’s candidacy for Vice President in the elections, Senator Mansfield (D-Montana) pays tribute to Muskie’s character.

31277; October 14, 1968; Senator McGee (D-Wyoming) inserts a column by William White on the Muskie vice presidential candidacy which concludes that regardless of the electoral outcome, Muskie has become a serious and worthy political player as a result of the campaign.

Senate: legislation to provide standards of conduct for Members, officers, and employees of, 7266, 7268, 7269, 7271, 7274.

Standards of conduct: resolution (S. Res. 266) relative to Members, officers, and employees of the Senate, 7266, 7268, 7269, 7271,7274.

Administrative assistants: fund raising activities, 7268, 7269, 7271, 7274.

7266-7269, 7271-7274; March 21, 1968: During debate on S. Res. 266, a resolution establishing standards of conduct for Members of the Senate and officers and employees of the Senate, Muskie engages in the debate over which staff persons in a Senator’s office should be permitted to handle campaign contributions. Senators are acutely sensitive to the appearance of conflicts of interest or potential corruption, and they are often torn between the practicalities of fund-raising and campaign contributions and the hypothetical ideals by which elections should operate. An excerpt from the debate illustrates this unsteady balance.

Congress: legislative accomplishments, 11158.

Johnson, Lyndon B.: legislative program of, 11158

Dialogs of Impatience, Involvement, and Inquiry, J. A. Califano, Harvard University, 11159.

11158, 11159; May 1, 1968; Muskie comments on the very productive legislative program of the Johnson administration and inserts a speech by Joseph A. Califano to the Nieman Fellows at Harvard University in which Califano questions how these programs will affect the institutional structures which exist to deliver such services as education to the American people.

BUDGET, TAXES, FISCAL POLICY

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Tax-exempt securities: waste treatment plants,20469-20471.

20469-20471; July 10, 1968; During the debate on S.3206, the Amendment of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Senator Proxmire (D-Wisconsin) raises the question of whether the long-term contracts for federal grants to localities for water treatment plants do not constitute a kind of federal guarantee for tax-exempt municipal bonds, which are likely to be the financing mechanism for most of the waste treatment plants to be built under the terms of the bill. Muskie explains that the Committee chose to reject the Administration’s plan – which would have provided a federal interest subsidy to localities for the issuance of taxable bonds – when off-the-record remarks by some Treasury officials made it appear that the Administration’s proposal was a stalking horse for the abolition of tax-exempt municipal bonds. States and cities immediately reacted and Muskie explains that the threat to tax-exempt municipal bonds made any kind of compromise on taxable bonds impossible.

American Bankers Association, by 30127.

30127; October 8, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Congressman Frank Annunzio (D- Illinois) argues that a vote for the Republican presidential ticket is a vote for economic recession, and claims that a Muskie speech given to the American Bankers’ Association spells out the facts.

TRADE, EXPORT SUBSIDIES, TARIFFS

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

Export-Import Bank: bill (S. 1155) to extend and Increase the authority of, 3834-3836.

Letter: balance of payments position of Export-Import Bank, H. F. Linder, 3836.

3834, 3836; February 21, 1968; Muskie submits the conference report on S.1155, the Export-Import Bank bill, along with the text of a letter from Harold F. Linder on behalf of the Export-Import Bank’s board and briefly describes the provisions of the final version of the bill. The conference report is then approved on a voice vote.

Roth, William, 5696.

Foreign trade: nontariff barriers, 5696, 9467.

Nontariff trade barriers: inventory, 5696, 9467.

Tables: inventory of nontariff trade barriers by country, 5697-5703, 9468-9470.

5696; March 7, 1968; Muskie makes a brief statement of his concern about the impact of nontariff barriers on trade and inserts a preliminary inventory of trade restrictions used by 52 nations as compiled by William Roth in the office of the special representative for trade negotiations in the Executive Office of the President.

9467; April 10, 1968; Muskie notes that the tables of non-tariff trade barriers he inserted in the Record on March 7 comprised only 52 of the total. There were 73 such tables in total, and he now inserts the remaining 19 for the information of Senators.

Export-Import Bank of the United: enable to approve extension of certain loans in connection with exports (bill S. 3218), 6931.

6931; This page number is in error. The index entry appears on page 7349.

7349; March 22, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the original cosponsors of S.3218, a Sparkman bill to enable the Import Export Bank of the United States to approve the extension of certain loans, guarantees and insurance in connection with exports from the United States in order to improve the balance of payments and foster the long-term commercial interests of the United States.

Committee on Banking and Currency: notice of hearings, 7834.

7834; March 27, 1968; Muskie announces that the Committee on Banking and Currency will hold a hearing on April 5, 1968, on S.3218, a bill to provide some latitude to the Export-Import Bank to approve loans, guarantees and insurance for exports where its existing standards and precedents might otherwise bar them. This bill was an element of the Johnson Administration’s effort to improve the U.S. balance of payments.

Committee on Banking and Currency, 11144.

11144; May 1, 1968; Muskie reports S.3218, a bill to enable the Export-Import Bank to approve extension of certain loans, guarantees, and insurance in connection with U.S. exports in order to improve the balance of payments and foster the long-term commercial interests of the United States. Report no. 1100.

Balance of payments: program to Improve, 17409.

Export-Import Bank: bill (H.R. 16162) to extend authority of, 17409-17419, 17603.

Report: Eximbank Transactions, Department of Commerce, 17412.

Memorandum: response to question of Senator Miller during debate on H.R. 16162, B. J. Middleton, 17603.

17409- 17419; June 17, 1968; Muskie speaks on H.R.16162, the House-passed version of a bill relaxing certain credit standards within the Export-Import Bank to finance loans, guarantees and insurance for U.S. exports to buyers who do not meet the Bank’s standard financial criteria. The bill was an attempt to improve the U.S. balance of payments, then in chronic deficit as more and more dollars were held overseas. A run on world gold markets from November 1967 to March 1968 led the U.S. government to request that the London gold market be closed, a fact to which Muskie refers in his opening remarks on the bill.

At this time, the international monetary system was ruled by the postwar Bretton Woods agreement. Under this agreement, the U.S. dollar was based on a gold standard of $35 per troy ounce of gold and also served as the world’s principal reserve currency. As U.S. expenditures for military spending in Vietnam, NATO costs in Europe, investment abroad and the purchase of imports from an expanding world economy all rose during the 1960s, the number of dollars held overseas reached a level where it was evident that the U.S. did not hold enough gold reserves to redeem all its dollars.

From 1966 onward, the Johnson Administration sought to reduce the balance of payments deficit through efforts to reduce overseas tourism, jaw-boning U.S. industry, and expansion of federal aid for U.S. exporters. This bill was an example of this policy. The debate on passage of the bill can be read here.

17603; June 18, 1968; Muskie and others speak just before final passage of H.R. 16162, the Export-Import Bank bill, and Muskie inserts a memorandum describing in general terms the kinds of loans that the Bank would be able to consider under the new authority in the bill.

Paper: Trends In International Trade of United States, Howard S. Piquet and Merrill A. Watson, 18267-18283.

Tables: exports and imports (selected data) (sundry), 18268-18281.

18267; June 21, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie inserts a comprehensive memo examining the foreign trade situation of the U.S. in light of the Kennedy round of tariff talks. The study was commissioned by the National Footwear Manufacturers Association, and accompanied by tables of export and import data.

Re-refined lubricating oil: limit application of trade regulation rule with respect to (see bill S. 3890), 23490.

23490; July 26, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the original cosponsors of a Boggs (R-Delaware) bill, S.3890, to limit the application of a trade regulation rule adopted by the Federal Trade Commission with respect to re-refined lubricating oil. The bill was intended to correct a problem caused by a labeling requirement on re-refined oil which was so reducing sales of the product that most re-refiners were forced out of business. As a result, service stations were having to dispose of used oil, because they could no longer sell it for re-refining, and the result was increased land and water pollution from an estimated 32 million gallons of used oil annually.

HOUSING, URBAN RENEWAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1968 2nd Session, 90th Congress

State and the City -- A Partnership for the Future, Jesse M. Unruh, League of California Cities, San Francisco, Calif., 314.

314; January 18, 1968; Muskie inserts a speech by Jesse M. Unruh, who serves as a state legislative representative on the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, on the subject of urban problems, while noting he does not agree with all of Unruh’s remarks.

Urban Future, interview with Senator Muskle, Nation's Cities, 6681.

6681; March 15, 1968; Senator Spong (D-Virginia) inserts a copy of a Muskie interview about the urban future with the magazine Nation’s Cities, in which he touts his support for the creation of a Select Committee on Technology and the Human Environment.

Municipal Finance Forum, Charles J. Zwick, 8197-8199.

8197-8199; March 28, 1968; In Extensions of Remarks, Muskie inserts a speech to the Municipal Finance Forum by the head of the Bureau of the Budget, Charles J. Zwick, talking about the means by which financing for public purposes can be raised by municipalities.

List: board of trustees for Urban Institute, 15103.

Urban Institute: establishment, 15103.

15103; May 27, 1968; Muskie commends the President for his initiative in creating the Urban Institute, an effort to create a private but highly professionalized non-profit organization for the ongoing study of urban problems which are beyond the immediate purview of government agencies, including the urban poor, the phenomenon of white flight, and other factors altering the quality of life in the larger cities. Muskie lists the board of trustee for this Institute.

Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Act of 1966, 15226.

Section 204, Demonstration Cities Act, Bureau of the Budget, 15226.

Model cities, University of Maine, R. F. Hawkins, 15229.

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968: bill (S. 3497) to enact, 15226, 15228, 15260, 15263, 15264, 20971, 20972, 23288.

Report: Section 204 of Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities, 20971.

15226; May 28, 1968; During the debate on S.3497, the Housing and Urban Development Act, Muskie enters a report on the planning component of the Model Cities provisions in the bill and a speech about the Portland, Maine Model Cities project.

15260,15261,15264; May 28, 1968; During debate on S. 3497, the Model Cities bill, Muskie explains a proposal to provide insurance against losses from riots and civil disturbance to businesses whose property insurance premiums had become unaffordable in the wake of urban riots. In the years 1965 to 1968, urban riots resulted in 225 deaths and an estimated $112 billion in property damage. Private insurers refused to provide coverage for many urban areas as a result. The result was that urban small businesses were often forced to close, adding further to the blight which afflicted the inner cities. The program proposed in this bill mandated a pooled insurance system on a state-by-state basis, and resulted in what became the FAIR programs, which operate today in about half the states. The Russell amendment offered during this debate would have eliminated this proposal.

20971; July 12, 1968; Muskie expresses his disappointment that the House has eliminated the central planning provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act, and provides a series of examples of how this process has helped assorted cities save money in the construction of waste water treatment plants and other infrastructure.

23288; July 25, 1968; In talking about the conference report on the housing bill, Muskie describes the various provisions of the bill and how it will help reach the ten-year goal of providing decent housing for the 20 million Americans now living in substandard housing through a combination of housing assistance funds and mechanisms to stimulate the private market to build affordable housing.

New Factor in Community Planning and Development, J. Rouby, AIA, 22846.

Metroplan: success of Arkansas, 22846.

22846; July 22, 1968; Muskie talks about the success of the Little Rock, Arkansas region’s Model Cities planning program, and inserts an article describing this from the regional architectural magazine.

Community self-determination program: establish (see bill S. 3875), 22981.

22981; July 24, 1968; Muskie is listed as one of the cosponsors of a Nelson bill, S.3875, to establish a community self-determination program to aid the people of urban and rural communities in securing gainful employment, achieving the ownership and control of the resources of their community, expanding opportunity, stability and self-determination and making their maximum contribution to the strength and well-being of the nation.