NOMINATION HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON DONALD RUMSFELD, OF ILLINOIS, TO BE DIRECTOR OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY MAY 13, 1969 Printed for the use of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare 29-307 LAW LIBRARY JUN 5 1969 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1969 NOMINATION TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1969 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, Washington, D.C. The committee met at 10:15 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 4232, New Senate Office Building, Senator Ralph W. Yarborough (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Yarborough, Williams, Kennedy, Nelson, Mondale, Eagleton, Javits, Prouty, Dominick, Schweicker, and Bellmon. Also present; Senators Dirksen, Percy, and Griffin. Committee staff members present: Robert O. Harris, staff director; John S. Forsythe, general counsel; William R. Bechtel, professional staff member; and John Scales, minority professional staff member. The CHAIRMAN. The Committee on Labor and Public Welfare will come to order. We have a hearing this morning on the nomination of Donald Rumsfeld as Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity. We will hear first from Mr. Donald Rumsfeld of Illinois. Let me state to the committee that Mr. Rumsfeld has submitted to me his financial statement. I am confident that there is no conflict of interest between his holdings and the office to which the President has appointed him. If any member of the committee cares they may see it. It will otherwise be sealed but members of either party have the right to see it if they care. Of course the ranking minority member, Mr. Javits, will see it. We recognize first the senior Senator from Illinois. STATEMENT OF HON. EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Senator DIRKSEN. Mr. Chairman, my colleague, Senator Percy, is with me in presenting the name of Donald Rumsfeld for Director of ОЕО. The first thing I want to say in his behalf is that he is young, and he has the spirit of innovation and imagination to bring to his job. He lives at Wilmette, Ill. He went to school in Princeton. He became a naval aviator. He was administrative assistant for a time to Congressman Dennison of Ohio. He then went with A. G. Becker & Co., an investment firm in Chicago. He was first elected to the 88th Congress, then to the 89th, to the 90th, and then the 91st. He is presently serving on the Government Operations Committee, the Science and Astronautics Committee of the House, and also on the Joint Economic Committee. The district that he represented contains presently at least about 507,000 people. The position to which he is appointed by the President is in the Office of the President, himself. It was created some years ago, in fact in 1964. I thought I saw a statement the other day by the President that for practical purposes, he would be accorded Cabinet status. But the job deals with the Youth Corps, with rural poverty, and with urban poverty; and he is responsible directly to the President Also, within the purview of this Office, there is the community action program, the work experience program, and others. With 8 years, substantially 8 years here, and the experience he has had generally, I know that he brings good background to the responsibility that goes with the Directorship of this Office. I think he will serve the country, he will serve this Office, he will serve the cause very well indeed. So, I endorse him without reservation. I am confident that my colleague does the same thing. So, we present to you, Donald Rumsfeld. I am sure that Senator Percy will have something to say also about his nomination. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Dirksen. We will call on the junior Senator from Illinois, Senator Percy. We welcome you to this committee, Senator Percy. I think you testified here before. I know Senator Dirksen when he was here was a leading member of this committee just as he is the leader of anything he belongs to. We regret losing him off this committee. We have had leaders of great distinction serving on this committee. Senator DIRKSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am always expendable if somebody wants my committee spot. That is what always happens. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Percy. STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES H. PERCY, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Senator PERCY. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to be with Senator Dirksen this morning. Congressman Runsfeld has been my own Congressman since 1962, and I was one of his earliest supporters for that office when he first sought it. We have been residents for a long time of the same community. I can only add a few details to the biographical material that Senator Dirksen has given to you. He did graduate from New Trier High School, went to Princeton where he was in the Naval ROTC there on scholarship, and also was Captain of the Wrestling Varsity Team. He came down to Congress and was an Administrative Assistant to Congressman Dennison from Ohio and then was on the staff of our own distinguished colleague, Bob Griffin. When he ran for Congress, after serving in the business community, he had a tough primary fight but I think the stature that he has achieved in his years in Congress is evidenced by his plurality that anyone would like to have. He had a plurality as I recall of 116,000 in his last election which puts him right up in the top range of all pluralities in the country in either party. The CHAIRMAN. Did that leave any votes for the other side? His support has come in the community not only from the Republicans but the Democrats because of the sense of commitment that he has had to the Congress and his work here. I think it is interesting also for those in the Senate to know that he has led the fight for Congressional reform in the House and has tried to get out of the House the Senate-passed Reform Bill of last Congress. He has fought a valiant fight and we regret that this leadership will be leaving the Congress. But he goes into an area of activity that I think is tremendously important. He goes in with the confidence of the President, the confidence of his colleagues in the Congress who have worked with him, and all of us who have known him. He is an able administrator. I have spent most of my life in administration. I think Congressman Rumsfeld in all of my experience with him through the years is one of the best administrators I have ever known. He has an organized mind. He has a detailed followup system on everything he does. I have never known him to drop a ball and because there are so many loose balls in this program right now I think that his kind of administrative follow-up is necessary. Also, and perhaps more important, to the people that he will be affecting, millions of people in this country who are impoverished, he has a sense of dedication and commitment. He is totally and fully committed to the objectives of eradicating poverty in this country. On it is only the means of achieving the end that he might find differences with some members of this committee. But he would not differ one iota from the objectives of the members of this committee to see that we do carry out the full intent and purpose of the Congress and the administration to remove the injustice and inequality in American life. I join Senator Dirksen with tremendous enthusiasm in presenting Congressman Rumsfeld to this committee for your consideration. Senator DIRKSEN. Mr. Chairman, if we may be excused, I have to go to a committee meeting. The CHAIRMAN. Certainly, both of the Senators if they desire may be excused. Senator Griffin, Mr. Rumsfeld used to be an assistant to you. Would you care to say anything at this point? You are a former member of this committee. We welcome you back. STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT P. GRIFFIN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN Senator GRIFFIN. I told Mr. Rumsfeld earlier before this committee on which I formerly served, I would speak either for or against himwhichever he thought would help the most. Don is an outstanding Congressman. He has tremendous intellect to go along with his extremely fine background, great energy and vigor. He is very creative, and I have no doubt that he is going to perform very, very well in this position. I think it is an ideal position for him, and we are fortunate that he is willing to take it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Griffin. |