Weekly Radio Report: NASA & Wheat Sales to the Soviet Union

Item

Other Media

c031_039.mp3

c031_039_tr.txt

Transcription (Scripto)

Read Full Text Only (TXT)

Extent (Dublin Core)

5 Minutes, 20 Seconds

File Name (Dublin Core)

c031_039

Title (Dublin Core)

Weekly Radio Report: NASA & Wheat Sales to the Soviet Union

Description (Dublin Core)

In this weekly radio broadcast, Congressman Bob Dole discusses the growth of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) and the budget implications. He explains his dislike for the creation of new government agencies, because they all eventually grow. At the end Dole continues discussion on the sale of wheat to Russia.

Date (Dublin Core)

1963-10-11

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1963-10-11

Congress (Dublin Core)

88th (1963-1965)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueUnited States--Foreign economic relations--Soviet Union

See all items with this valueDebts, Public--United States

Policy Area (Curation)

Foreign Trade and International Finance

Creator (Dublin Core)

Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Record Type (Dublin Core)

radio programs

Rights (Dublin Core)

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Language (Dublin Core)

eng

Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)

https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=84&q=

Physical Collection (Dublin Core)

Collection 031, Box 1

Institution (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Archival Collection (Dublin Core)

Dole Audio Reels Collection, 1960-1979

Full Text (Extract Text)

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. First of all, I wish to thank the station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and secondly, as in the past, we do hope that you will comment on our programs and give me the benefit of your suggestions and your criticisms.

Thought I might point out three or four things in the brief time we have. First of all, I'll point out the growth of a federal agency. You know, many of us talk about that once you establish a new agency, it never ends, and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And I think the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a good example. It was born five years ago — October 1, 1958, on October 1st. It had a starting budget for fiscal year 1959 of $339 million — at that time it had 8,400 employees. During its brief life it has spent more than $7 billion, and this fiscal year alone has proposed a budget of more than $5.3 billion, which I might add was trimmed considerably by the House in a vote just last week. It is now the third largest government agency for spending, and the only two ahead of it are [Department of] Defense (DoD) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But today NASA — or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — has 32,500 employees on its regular payroll, but this does not count hundreds of thousands of other persons who work for prime contractors and subcontractors working on NASA projects. So I think it's well to keep in mind that when we start a federal agency — I don't care whether it's space or USDA or anything else — we can only expect one thing for certain, and that is that it will grow and grow and grow, and spend and spend and spend more of your money. And I point this out to, again, emphasize that we cannot have the economy and government until the people at home demand it.

Now secondly, the item worth still being discussed is the sale of wheat to Russia. As you all know, last week the President approved the sale and now the details are working out — [correcting himself] are being worked out. Frankly, I was somewhat disappointed in the President's statement; I still feel the primary point that has not been touched at all is whether or not the sale of one bushel — or a million bushel or 200 million bushel — will endanger the life of one American here or abroad. Now we happen to live in the largest wheat-producing district in America, and I do feel some obligation to the farmer, and I'm certain the farmer feels just as I do. Certainly we wish to expand our markets — everyone does, whether you live in a wheat area or in some other area. But I do think that we should have the Defense Department and the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] come to Congress. In fact, I suggested last week in a letter to our Agriculture Committee Chairman Harold Cooley that we have a closed session, and that we invite witnesses — top intelligence witnesses from the Defense Department and from the Central Intelligence Agency — to come before our Agriculture Committee because we're talking about the sale and disposal of an agricultural commodity. And tell us what they know about the conditions in Russia, what Russian may or may not do with this wheat — whether it's for humanitarian purposes or resale by the Russians or transshipment to Cuba or to Vietnam — because I feel this is very, very important.

I had a letter last week from a soldier in Fort Leonard Wood — he's from Hays, Kansas — and he said this: “I wish the President would ask the mood of the service man instead of asking the mood of Congress on the sale of wheat to Russia.” I think, too, as he mentioned, that it might be well to point out that 60 Americans have lost their lives in Vietnam. Now when we consider this in the proper context, I think we should have some evidence and some proof from the Defense Department and from the CIA that the sale of wheat to Russia — or to any other Communist Bloc country — will not in any way have any security implications. We've heard from the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Commerce; and of course, the Secretary of Agriculture wants to dispose of what he calls surplus, and the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Treasury are worried about the balance of payments. Frankly, I think the most important point has still been overlooked — at least as far as Members of Congress are concerned — and that is the balance of power and the security of this country. If we can have assurance that there are no security implications, then of course I say we should sell if we can do it for cash, and until such time I still reserve judgement.

I again thank you for listening. And this is Congressman Bob Dole and I shall appreciate your comments and suggestions. Just send them to me at Room 244, House Office Building, Washington 25 D.C. Thanks for listening.

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. First of all, I wish to thank the station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and secondly, as in the past, we do hope that you will comment on our programs and give me the benefit of your suggestions and your criticisms.

Thought I might point out three or four things in the brief time we have. First of all, I'll point out the growth of a federal agency. You know, many of us talk about that once you establish a new agency, it never ends, and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And I think the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a good example. It was born five years ago — October 1, 1958, on October 1st. It had a starting budget for fiscal year 1959 of $339 million — at that time it had 8,400 employees. During its brief life it has spent more than $7 billion, and this fiscal year alone has proposed a budget of more than $5.3 billion, which I might add was trimmed considerably by the House in a vote just last week. It is now the third largest government agency for spending, and the only two ahead of it are [Department of] Defense (DoD) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But today NASA — or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — has 32,500 employees on its regular payroll, but this does not count hundreds of thousands of other persons who work for prime contractors and subcontractors working on NASA projects. So I think it's well to keep in mind that when we start a federal agency — I don't care whether it's space or USDA or anything else — we can only expect one thing for certain, and that is that it will grow and grow and grow, and spend and spend and spend more of your money. And I point this out to, again, emphasize that we cannot have the economy and government until the people at home demand it.

Now secondly, the item worth still being discussed is the sale of wheat to Russia. As you all know, last week the President approved the sale and now the details are working out — [correcting himself] are being worked out. Frankly, I was somewhat disappointed in the President's statement; I still feel the primary point that has not been touched at all is whether or not the sale of one bushel — or a million bushel or 200 million bushel — will endanger the life of one American here or abroad. Now we happen to live in the largest wheat-producing district in America, and I do feel some obligation to the farmer, and I'm certain the farmer feels just as I do. Certainly we wish to expand our markets — everyone does, whether you live in a wheat area or in some other area. But I do think that we should have the Defense Department and the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] come to Congress. In fact, I suggested last week in a letter to our Agriculture Committee Chairman Harold Cooley that we have a closed session, and that we invite witnesses — top intelligence witnesses from the Defense Department and from the Central Intelligence Agency — to come before our Agriculture Committee because we're talking about the sale and disposal of an agricultural commodity. And tell us what they know about the conditions in Russia, what Russian may or may not do with this wheat — whether it's for humanitarian purposes or resale by the Russians or transshipment to Cuba or to Vietnam — because I feel this is very, very important.

I had a letter last week from a soldier in Fort Leonard Wood — he's from Hays, Kansas — and he said this: “I wish the President would ask the mood of the service man instead of asking the mood of Congress on the sale of wheat to Russia.” I think, too, as he mentioned, that it might be well to point out that 60 Americans have lost their lives in Vietnam. Now when we consider this in the proper context, I think we should have some evidence and some proof from the Defense Department and from the CIA that the sale of wheat to Russia — or to any other Communist Bloc country — will not in any way have any security implications. We've heard from the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Commerce; and of course, the Secretary of Agriculture wants to dispose of what he calls surplus, and the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Treasury are worried about the balance of payments. Frankly, I think the most important point has still been overlooked — at least as far as Members of Congress are concerned — and that is the balance of power and the security of this country. If we can have assurance that there are no security implications, then of course I say we should sell if we can do it for cash, and until such time I still reserve judgement.

I again thank you for listening. And this is Congressman Bob Dole and I shall appreciate your comments and suggestions. Just send them to me at Room 244, House Office Building, Washington 25 D.C. Thanks for listening.

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. First of all, I wish to thank the station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and secondly, as in the past, we do hope that you will comment on our programs and give me the benefit of your suggestions and your criticisms.

Thought I might point out three or four things in the brief time we have. First of all, I'll point out the growth of a federal agency. You know, many of us talk about that once you establish a new agency, it never ends, and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And I think the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a good example. It was born five years ago — October 1, 1958, on October 1st. It had a starting budget for fiscal year 1959 of $339 million — at that time it had 8,400 employees. During its brief life it has spent more than $7 billion, and this fiscal year alone has proposed a budget of more than $5.3 billion, which I might add was trimmed considerably by the House in a vote just last week. It is now the third largest government agency for spending, and the only two ahead of it are [Department of] Defense (DoD) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But today NASA — or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — has 32,500 employees on its regular payroll, but this does not count hundreds of thousands of other persons who work for prime contractors and subcontractors working on NASA projects. So I think it's well to keep in mind that when we start a federal agency — I don't care whether it's space or USDA or anything else — we can only expect one thing for certain, and that is that it will grow and grow and grow, and spend and spend and spend more of your money. And I point this out to, again, emphasize that we cannot have the economy and government until the people at home demand it.

Now secondly, the item worth still being discussed is the sale of wheat to Russia. As you all know, last week the President approved the sale and now the details are working out — [correcting himself] are being worked out. Frankly, I was somewhat disappointed in the President's statement; I still feel the primary point that has not been touched at all is whether or not the sale of one bushel — or a million bushel or 200 million bushel — will endanger the life of one American here or abroad. Now we happen to live in the largest wheat-producing district in America, and I do feel some obligation to the farmer, and I'm certain the farmer feels just as I do. Certainly we wish to expand our markets — everyone does, whether you live in a wheat area or in some other area. But I do think that we should have the Defense Department and the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] come to Congress. In fact, I suggested last week in a letter to our Agriculture Committee Chairman Harold Cooley that we have a closed session, and that we invite witnesses — top intelligence witnesses from the Defense Department and from the Central Intelligence Agency — to come before our Agriculture Committee because we're talking about the sale and disposal of an agricultural commodity. And tell us what they know about the conditions in Russia, what Russian may or may not do with this wheat — whether it's for humanitarian purposes or resale by the Russians or transshipment to Cuba or to Vietnam — because I feel this is very, very important.

I had a letter last week from a soldier in Fort Leonard Wood — he's from Hays, Kansas — and he said this: “I wish the President would ask the mood of the service man instead of asking the mood of Congress on the sale of wheat to Russia.” I think, too, as he mentioned, that it might be well to point out that 60 Americans have lost their lives in Vietnam. Now when we consider this in the proper context, I think we should have some evidence and some proof from the Defense Department and from the CIA that the sale of wheat to Russia — or to any other Communist Bloc country — will not in any way have any security implications. We've heard from the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Commerce; and of course, the Secretary of Agriculture wants to dispose of what he calls surplus, and the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Treasury are worried about the balance of payments. Frankly, I think the most important point has still been overlooked — at least as far as Members of Congress are concerned — and that is the balance of power and the security of this country. If we can have assurance that there are no security implications, then of course I say we should sell if we can do it for cash, and until such time I still reserve judgement.

I again thank you for listening. And this is Congressman Bob Dole and I shall appreciate your comments and suggestions. Just send them to me at Room 244, House Office Building, Washington 25 D.C. Thanks for listening.