Weekly Radio Report: Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

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c031_024.mp3

c031_024_tr.txt

Transcription (Scripto)

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Extent (Dublin Core)

5 Minutes, 37 Seconds

File Name (Dublin Core)

c031_024

Title (Dublin Core)

Weekly Radio Report: Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

Description (Dublin Core)

In this weekly radio broadcast, Congressman Bob Dole discusses Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman’s visit to Salina, Kansas, to meet with Kansas farmers. Dole criticizes Freeman for not making enough time for questions or to have a conversation with attendees, and that it is evidence that Freeman is a skilled politician. Dole discusses a bill that he introduced earlier in the year and criticizes Freeman’s response when he was asked about the bill at the Salina event.

Date (Dublin Core)

1963-11-01

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1963-11-02

Congress (Dublin Core)

88th (1963-1965)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueAgriculture and politics

Policy Area (Curation)

Government Operations and Politics

Agriculture and Food

Creator (Dublin Core)

Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Record Type (Dublin Core)

radio programs

Names (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueFreeman, Orville L.

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. Of course, I wish to thank this station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and again would invite your comments and your suggestions and your criticisms.

If anyone had told me in January that we'd still be having regular weekly programs in November, I would have been a little uncertain as to what to answer these people. But it now appears that we will not adjourn at all this year, and if we do anything — it may be — we'll have a recess for Christmas and then starting again in January. This has actually been one of the longest and the most fruitless sessions in recent history, and frankly, I'm not certain just what will be accomplished. There haven't been a great many bills passed, and to me this isn't all bad because I think it's better, in many instances, not to pass some of the legislation that’s pending.

It was of interest to me to attend the meeting in Salina, Kansas, on September 18th where Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman was featured and was the guest speaker, and that evening answered questions and talked for about two hours. I recognize or recall it was about a two hour and twenty minute program, and of this two hours and twenty minutes, Secretary Freeman used about two hours and five minutes, so I would say that he, perhaps, controlled the time, and of course, he controlled the questions he wished to reply to because they’re written down in advance. And I was somewhat disappointed because only about 11 or 12 farmers from Western Kansas were able to take the microphone and present their views. Then these people were limited to just three minutes — in other words, after they had talked for three minutes, the bell would go off and their time was up — so there was actually not one single opportunity of any give and take conversation between a Kansas farmer and the Secretary of Agriculture. So I frankly felt the meeting was somewhat useless. It pointed out that the Secretary is a skilled politician, and I don't know what else it did point out.

One of the questions discussed that evening, as I recall — and I was present — was someone had asked, they had written down on a card: “Mr. Secretary, what about the bill introduced by Congressman Dole and 19 other Members of Congress on May 23, 1963?” Well at that time the Secretary announced to some 2,500 people who were there that this bill was unworkable, it was too costly, and it would add to the surplus. Now I assumed from this — because I was there also — that Mr. Freeman had made a very careful study of my particular proposition and the other similar bills, and had reached this conclusion after considerable research, and therefore, when I came back to Washington, I waited a few days thinking I might get a copy of the report. And when this didn't come I contacted the Secretary by letter on October 8th. I pointed out to him that he’s made this statement in Salina that the voluntary program introduced by 20 members of Congress on May 23rd had been considered and then he felt it was unworkable and too costly. Well on October 31st, I received a reply, not from Mr. Freeman, but from Kenneth M. Burkett, who is the Assistant Secretary Department of Agriculture — [correcting himself] Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and he indicates that they have not even completed the report on the bill I introduced — and the bill introduced by some 19 other members.

So I began to wonder just what Mr. Freeman based his answer on, and what he may have based other answers on given that evening, because here is a clear-cut case: he was in Salina on September 18, and then some six weeks later I hear from the Assistant Secretary, who tells me in writing as follows, “The Department has not submitted a report on this bill or on other identical bills introduced by other Members of Congress.” So, this is the status now of the bill I introduced, which is a voluntary program combining wheat and feed grain acreages. I feel that the Secretary owes some explanation to those who may have been assembled that evening, because the impression was clearly left that he’d carefully studied the proposal I introduced — and that other members have introduced — and that they were unworkable and too costly. This is one reason, frankly, why I was in attendance, to find out what the Secretary might — or how he might respond to questions that were asked of him, and I certainly feel that it's not becoming [of] the dignity of the office of the Secretary of Agriculture to leave this impression with people who were there to learn. And I say this regardless of particular party affiliation, or the fact that it may have been a farmer or a member of some ASC [Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service] office staff or ASC committee who were in attendance in Salina on September 18. And I certainly trust that the Secretary will rectify — or at least acknowledge that he didn't know what my bill would do when he made this response in September.

Thanks for listening, and again this is Congressman Bob Dole, Room 224 House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. Of course, I wish to thank this station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and again would invite your comments and your suggestions and your criticisms.

If anyone had told me in January that we'd still be having regular weekly programs in November, I would have been a little uncertain as to what to answer these people. But it now appears that we will not adjourn at all this year, and if we do anything — it may be — we'll have a recess for Christmas and then starting again in January. This has actually been one of the longest and the most fruitless sessions in recent history, and frankly, I'm not certain just what will be accomplished. There haven't been a great many bills passed, and to me this isn't all bad because I think it's better, in many instances, not to pass some of the legislation that’s pending.

It was of interest to me to attend the meeting in Salina, Kansas, on September 18th where Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman was featured and was the guest speaker, and that evening answered questions and talked for about two hours. I recognize or recall it was about a two hour and twenty minute program, and of this two hours and twenty minutes, Secretary Freeman used about two hours and five minutes, so I would say that he, perhaps, controlled the time, and of course, he controlled the questions he wished to reply to because they’re written down in advance. And I was somewhat disappointed because only about 11 or 12 farmers from Western Kansas were able to take the microphone and present their views. Then these people were limited to just three minutes — in other words, after they had talked for three minutes, the bell would go off and their time was up — so there was actually not one single opportunity of any give and take conversation between a Kansas farmer and the Secretary of Agriculture. So I frankly felt the meeting was somewhat useless. It pointed out that the Secretary is a skilled politician, and I don't know what else it did point out.

One of the questions discussed that evening, as I recall — and I was present — was someone had asked, they had written down on a card: “Mr. Secretary, what about the bill introduced by Congressman Dole and 19 other Members of Congress on May 23, 1963?” Well at that time the Secretary announced to some 2,500 people who were there that this bill was unworkable, it was too costly, and it would add to the surplus. Now I assumed from this — because I was there also — that Mr. Freeman had made a very careful study of my particular proposition and the other similar bills, and had reached this conclusion after considerable research, and therefore, when I came back to Washington, I waited a few days thinking I might get a copy of the report. And when this didn't come I contacted the Secretary by letter on October 8th. I pointed out to him that he’s made this statement in Salina that the voluntary program introduced by 20 members of Congress on May 23rd had been considered and then he felt it was unworkable and too costly. Well on October 31st, I received a reply, not from Mr. Freeman, but from Kenneth M. Burkett, who is the Assistant Secretary Department of Agriculture — [correcting himself] Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and he indicates that they have not even completed the report on the bill I introduced — and the bill introduced by some 19 other members.

So I began to wonder just what Mr. Freeman based his answer on, and what he may have based other answers on given that evening, because here is a clear-cut case: he was in Salina on September 18, and then some six weeks later I hear from the Assistant Secretary, who tells me in writing as follows, “The Department has not submitted a report on this bill or on other identical bills introduced by other Members of Congress.” So, this is the status now of the bill I introduced, which is a voluntary program combining wheat and feed grain acreages. I feel that the Secretary owes some explanation to those who may have been assembled that evening, because the impression was clearly left that he’d carefully studied the proposal I introduced — and that other members have introduced — and that they were unworkable and too costly. This is one reason, frankly, why I was in attendance, to find out what the Secretary might — or how he might respond to questions that were asked of him, and I certainly feel that it's not becoming [of] the dignity of the office of the Secretary of Agriculture to leave this impression with people who were there to learn. And I say this regardless of particular party affiliation, or the fact that it may have been a farmer or a member of some ASC [Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service] office staff or ASC committee who were in attendance in Salina on September 18. And I certainly trust that the Secretary will rectify — or at least acknowledge that he didn't know what my bill would do when he made this response in September.

Thanks for listening, and again this is Congressman Bob Dole, Room 224 House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. Of course, I wish to thank this station for carrying my weekly program as a public service broadcast, and again would invite your comments and your suggestions and your criticisms.

If anyone had told me in January that we'd still be having regular weekly programs in November, I would have been a little uncertain as to what to answer these people. But it now appears that we will not adjourn at all this year, and if we do anything — it may be — we'll have a recess for Christmas and then starting again in January. This has actually been one of the longest and the most fruitless sessions in recent history, and frankly, I'm not certain just what will be accomplished. There haven't been a great many bills passed, and to me this isn't all bad because I think it's better, in many instances, not to pass some of the legislation that’s pending.

It was of interest to me to attend the meeting in Salina, Kansas, on September 18th where Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman was featured and was the guest speaker, and that evening answered questions and talked for about two hours. I recognize or recall it was about a two hour and twenty minute program, and of this two hours and twenty minutes, Secretary Freeman used about two hours and five minutes, so I would say that he, perhaps, controlled the time, and of course, he controlled the questions he wished to reply to because they’re written down in advance. And I was somewhat disappointed because only about 11 or 12 farmers from Western Kansas were able to take the microphone and present their views. Then these people were limited to just three minutes — in other words, after they had talked for three minutes, the bell would go off and their time was up — so there was actually not one single opportunity of any give and take conversation between a Kansas farmer and the Secretary of Agriculture. So I frankly felt the meeting was somewhat useless. It pointed out that the Secretary is a skilled politician, and I don't know what else it did point out.

One of the questions discussed that evening, as I recall — and I was present — was someone had asked, they had written down on a card: “Mr. Secretary, what about the bill introduced by Congressman Dole and 19 other Members of Congress on May 23, 1963?” Well at that time the Secretary announced to some 2,500 people who were there that this bill was unworkable, it was too costly, and it would add to the surplus. Now I assumed from this — because I was there also — that Mr. Freeman had made a very careful study of my particular proposition and the other similar bills, and had reached this conclusion after considerable research, and therefore, when I came back to Washington, I waited a few days thinking I might get a copy of the report. And when this didn't come I contacted the Secretary by letter on October 8th. I pointed out to him that he’s made this statement in Salina that the voluntary program introduced by 20 members of Congress on May 23rd had been considered and then he felt it was unworkable and too costly. Well on October 31st, I received a reply, not from Mr. Freeman, but from Kenneth M. Burkett, who is the Assistant Secretary Department of Agriculture — [correcting himself] Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and he indicates that they have not even completed the report on the bill I introduced — and the bill introduced by some 19 other members.

So I began to wonder just what Mr. Freeman based his answer on, and what he may have based other answers on given that evening, because here is a clear-cut case: he was in Salina on September 18, and then some six weeks later I hear from the Assistant Secretary, who tells me in writing as follows, “The Department has not submitted a report on this bill or on other identical bills introduced by other Members of Congress.” So, this is the status now of the bill I introduced, which is a voluntary program combining wheat and feed grain acreages. I feel that the Secretary owes some explanation to those who may have been assembled that evening, because the impression was clearly left that he’d carefully studied the proposal I introduced — and that other members have introduced — and that they were unworkable and too costly. This is one reason, frankly, why I was in attendance, to find out what the Secretary might — or how he might respond to questions that were asked of him, and I certainly feel that it's not becoming [of] the dignity of the office of the Secretary of Agriculture to leave this impression with people who were there to learn. And I say this regardless of particular party affiliation, or the fact that it may have been a farmer or a member of some ASC [Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service] office staff or ASC committee who were in attendance in Salina on September 18. And I certainly trust that the Secretary will rectify — or at least acknowledge that he didn't know what my bill would do when he made this response in September.

Thanks for listening, and again this is Congressman Bob Dole, Room 224 House Office Building, Washington, D.C.