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the economy. What will happen next year will have to wait until the appropriations

come.

But the Governors did not make any specific recommendations. The answer to your question, sir, is no.

DESEGREGATION GUIDELINES

[5] Q. At the Southern Governors' conference not long ago in Kentucky, one of the main issues was desegregation guidelines. We have several Southern Governors here today.

I wonder if that, as an active FederalState issue, came up at all?

THE PRESIDENT. No, we didn't go into the guidelines at all.

Sorry to disappoint you, Pat. I wish I could have given you some details. We didn't discuss that today. We went into the four subjects that I outlined generally.

MEDICAL AID FOR THE NEEDY

[6.] Q. Mr. President, one of the areas where apparently expenses may exceed the original predictions is that of medical aid to the needy in the individual States under title 19 of last year's law.8

Is this a touchable or untouchable subject? THE PRESIDENT. That was brought up today. The Ways and Means Committee now has under consideration certain modifications of legislation. We don't know what action they will take.

Governor Rockefeller brought that to our attention and expressed his viewpoints today. We will follow on the legislature carefully and see what comes out on it.

I am unable to predict right now because

*Ernest B. (Pat) Furgurson of the Baltimore Sun. *Social Security Amendments of 1965 (Public Law 89-97, 79 Stat. 286).

I have had no report other than what Governor Rockefeller gave me.

PUBLIC WORKS

[7.] Q. Mr. President, is it possible to get a half billion of this $3 billion out of public works?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no idea. I wouldn't want to speculate. I am sure if I speculated it would be, then it wouldn't be when you started getting it, Ray, because we don't know what the appropriations are going to be.

I think if we started making reductions down here before we get the appropriations, it would be very ill-advised. We might have a bunch of amendments on the floor that would be changing those things. We might be cutting something that really didn't exist.

I think if you can just wait a few more days until we get those bills, we will give you much more enlightenment.

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firm his viewpoints.

THE PRESIDENT. I can't confirm it. I don't know myself, as I told you at some length, until we get the new estimates and see them—and it will be at best a guess then. But we don't have it now and we don't know what we are going to get this year in the appropriations bills. It is still in conference. Mr. Mahon is a member of the conference committee.

REDUCTIONS IN STATE SPENDING

[9.] Q. Mr. President, in comparison with the $3 billion reduction you are seeking at the Federal level, have you mentioned any goal that you would like to see the Governors meet in terms of dollars?

THE PRESIDENT. No. I think it would be a great variance between the State of New York and the State of New Mexico or Ari

zona.

This is not the purpose of getting the Governors to come in, to make a commitment to the President or the President to make a commitment to the Governors.

This is a regular meeting that we have once or twice or three times a year to go over with the Governors the principal problems that confront us all. One of them is Vietnam. One of them is inflation. One of them is restraints on our economy. One of them is crime. One of them is total employment and unemployment. Some of it is education.

We discussed all those things generally today as we usually do. The Governor of New York may be able to make an adjustment that the Governor of New Mexico can't, and vice versa. They would be in different fields.

If they have a general picture of our thinking, though, they will better understand our acts when we make our own reductions.

I am not sure that they are all aware of

the progress made in the Congress. I pointed out today that there had been substantial additions to the budget, and even though we are cutting $3 billion, it is not $3 billion from the $112 billion I recommended. It will be $3 billion from the considerable increase that is added to the $112 billion.

As a matter of fact, I have already received between $2 billion and $3 billion in increases to the budget in the bills that have already come here. I am just pointing out to them in the days ahead we will indicate to them specific areas.

FURTHER QUESTION ON DESEGREGATION

GUIDELINES

[10.] Q. In reference to Pat's question, Mr. President, I wonder if you could give us your views in light of the congressional discussions of the school guidelines and hospital desegregation, if you can give us your views on the adequacies of the existing guidelines, whether your policies will be modified?

THE PRESIDENT. My views are principally the views that have been stated by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and to you on a couple of occasions by Mr. Moyers in your press briefings, that it is our intention to execute and enforce the law as passed by the Congress and carry out the intention of the Congress.

We are doing that as interpreted by the

The school guidelines of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, dated March 1966, are entitled "Revised Statement of Policies for School Desegregation Plans Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964" (Government Printing Office, 10 pp.) and are printed in the Federal Register (31 F.R. 5623) and the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR, Part 181). The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare also issued a 2-page list of nondiscrimination guidelines for hospitals in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Attorney General.

There will be cases that people believe result in injustice. As they are brought to our attention, the Secretary will carefully review them, bearing in mind all the time that it is his job to execute and enforce the law as passed.

That is what I expect him to do and that is what he is trying his best to do. In other words, our problem is to enforce the law, carry it out as written, as we interpret it and as the Attorney General believes it to be, and to do it as efficiently as possible.

Although we are all humans and make mistakes, if mistakes are made we will try to listen to the complaints that are voiced, as I do every day, and then carry them out.

I do as little as I can to provoke disturbances and to start fights, and to create dissension among the public, generally.

MARYLAND PRIMARY

[11.] Q. Mr. President, did you deviate from the areas you mentioned long enough to discuss briefly with Governor Tawes the nomination of George Mahoney of Maryland? 10

THE PRESIDENT. No, we didn't discuss any politics at all.

GOVERNORS' COOPERATION ON ECONOMIC

RECOMMENDATIONS

[12.] Q. Mr. President, you said you asked for and got no commitments so far as spending cuts. Do you go away from the meeting with a feeling or impression of a general confidence that the Governors are

George P. Mahoney, running on an anti-openhousing stand, was nominated as the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the Maryland primary election of September 13, 1966.

prepared to make stretchouts?

THE PRESIDENT. I would think you could assume from what the Governors had said, if you had heard what they have said, that they are going to be as cooperative as the circumstances will permit in connection with their own responsibilities. That is all we expect them to do.

We are not trying to dictate to them what they must do. We are indicating to them what we think our duty is so they may know, when we do not make some allocation to them, the reasons for it and they won't say it was done in secrecy and they never heard of it, and the press was not informed; that it was done in the back room or something.

APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATES

[13.] Q. Mr. President, you mentioned a figure awhile ago of an estimate by Mr. Schultze of $7 to $8 billion. Could you explain what that estimate is?

THE PRESIDENT. That is an estimate of the amount of authorizations and the appropriations that there is some indication in his judgment the Congress will act upon and send to the President.

The minimum figure he thinks will be between $2 and $3 billion and the maximum between $7 and $8 billion.

Q. Is that on top of the $113 billion figure?

THE PRESIDENT. $112.8 billion. In addition to my budget. That is over. That is exclusive of Vietnam.

Q. This is new obligational authority? THE PRESIDENT. This is exclusive of Vietnam. It is both.

Q. Mr. President, occasionally when the Government

THE PRESIDENT. Whatever the supplemental for Vietnam, it will be added to that.

EFFECT OF REDUCTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT

OUTLOOK FOR DEFENSE EFFORT

[14.] Q. Occasionally, when the Government does reduce expenditures there follows a depression in employment to some extent. Is this being taken into consideration?

Have any of the Governors expressed concern about the possible effect of reductions on employment?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I think we all are concerned with it. We are concerned with employment and unemployment. We talked about some areas where employment was up, and some areas where it was depressed, what the problems would be if it slackened off, how it would be desirable to have some projects available then, to work on that we wouldn't have if we acted on them all now.

We are trying to avoid the dip that might take place.

[15.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any hope that this defense effort might slack up in the next year?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, we would hope that it would someday.

TAX INCREASE

[16.] Q. Mr. President, if that excess went up as high as $7 or $8 billion, from where you sit now, would you say that a tax increase would be inevitable?

THE PRESIDENT. I would say, let us see what happens and then we can act, if you can just hold back for a few more days.

Max Frankel, New York Times: Thank you, Mr. President.

NOTE: President Johnson's seventy-seventh news conference was held at 3:03 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 1966, in the Cabinet Room at the White House. As printed above, it follows the text released by the White House Press Office.

495 Statement by the President Upon Signing Bills Benefiting Philippine Veterans. September 30, 1966

I HAVE TODAY signed H.R. 16330 and H.R. 16367, two bills dealing with Philippine veterans benefits.

When President Marcos of the Philippines visited Washington several weeks ago, I had the honor and pleasure of a frank and friendly exchange of views with him on national and international developments.

Out of these talks came a greater understanding of several issues, including the matter of benefits to Philippine veterans of World War II. I stated my strong hope that legislation dealing with this subject would be enacted quickly by Congress.

Congress responded promptly and generously and the two bills I sign today are

another milestone in the continuing saga of U.S.-Philippine cooperation and friendship.

H.R. 16367 will extend the benefits of the war orphans educational assistance program to the children of those Commonwealth Army and "New" Philippine Scouts veterans who died or were permanently and totally disabled while serving with the Armed Forces of the United States. These Philippine children will be entitled to receive payments to pursue their education for up to 36 months.

The future of a nation is determined by the capabilities of its youth. I believe this bill will assist the Philippines in building a bright and promising future.

H.R. 16330 extends and enlarges the present U.S. program of hospital and medical care for Philippine veterans. The present program will be extended to June 1973. Outpatient care will be provided for "New" Philippine Scouts as well as Commonwealth Army veterans who have service-connected disabilities. Veterans with non-service-connected disabilities will now be able to get hospital care if they are unable to pay for

treatment.

This bill also provides funds for one of the finest medical facilities in the Far East, the Veterans Memorial Hospital near Manila. That hospital, operated by the Government of the Philippines, was built and equipped by the United States for the benefit of Philippine veterans.

I am especially pleased with the provision of this bill which provides funds for the education and training of medical personnel and for medical research at the Memorial

Hospital. This is in keeping with America's commitment to join with the Philippines in an alliance to fight disease and to improve the health standards of the people.

These two bills are the direct result of the deliberations of the Joint United States-Republic of the Philippines Commission for the Study of Philippines Veterans' Problems. I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of that Commission, especially Gen. George Decker, the Chairman of the U.S. participants, and Congressman Olin E. Teague, the Vice Chairman, who presided so ably over the proceedings during the illness of General Decker.

NOTE: As enacted, H.R. 16330 is Public Law 89612 (80 Stat. 859), and H.R. 16367 is Public Law 89-613 (80 Stat. 861).

For the visit of President Marcos of the Philippines, see Items 458, 459, and 461.

The statement was posted on the bulletin board in the Press Room at the White House. It was not made public in the form of a White House press release.

496 Statement by the President on the Strike Threat at General Electric. October 2, 1966

FOR THE past 2 months, the General Electric Company and the International Union of Electrical Workers and other unions have been engaged in negotiations for a new contract.

The Government's mediation service has been made available to support and encourage their efforts to reach a fair and just agreement. I have just been informed that the parties have been unable to reach agreement.

This afternoon, as a result, the threat of a strike of 125,000 workers hangs over the Nation.

The prospect of any large strike is cause for concern.

But in the case of General Electric and

the IUE and the other unions involved here, the threat of a strike takes on a particularly profound meaning for the American people, and for our men in the jungles and rice paddies in Vietnam.

General Electric is a leading producer and developer of a wide range of munitions, electronic equipment, and missiles for the Armed Forces. It makes powerplants for our ships and submarines. It supplies the engines for the F-4 "Phantom" fighter and for our helicopters, machineguns for many of our combat aircraft, and battlefield radar. equipment.

Our men in Vietnam need these planes, these helicopters, these weapons. They are

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