Weekly Radio Report: Committee on Agriculture & the Wheat Referendum

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c031_030.mp3

c031_030_tr.txt

Transcription (Scripto)

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Extent (Dublin Core)

5 Minutes, 4 Seconds

File Name (Dublin Core)

c031_030

Title (Dublin Core)

Weekly Radio Report: Committee on Agriculture & the Wheat Referendum

Description (Dublin Core)

In this weekly radio broadcast, Congressman Bob Dole discusses more about the wheat referendum. He advocates for legislation that would help farmers by requiring the referendum to be held earlier. He also discusses managing the budget, and not cutting taxes without also reducing spending, in order to not add to the deficit.

Date (Dublin Core)

Approximately 1963

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1963

Congress (Dublin Core)

88th (1963-1965)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueWheat farmers

See all items with this valueAgricultural laws and legislation

Policy Area (Curation)

Agriculture and Food

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 your First District Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. As in the past I certainly wish to thank this station for carrying our report as a public service. I might add again, too, that we certainly appreciate the many comments and suggestions we have as a result of our weekly radio programs. And also as I've said that many times in the past, we would appreciate your constructive criticisms, appreciate your suggesting topics you might like to have discussed on our weekly radio programs. And I want to stress again the importance of communications between your Members of Congress and the people. I think it is most important that we communicate with one another on matters of vital importance, not only to our district, but to the state of Kansas, and to our nation.

At the present time, our committee on agriculture is not functioning. On the 27th of last month I introduced legislation which would require the wheat referendum to be held not later than May 15. I still think this is sound legislation; there should be no controversy about it, it is not a partisan issue, it is not directed at Republican or Democrat farmers, it merely states that in no case shall the Secretary [of Agriculture] hold the referendum later than May 15. It seems to me that in this year we’ve had plenty of time and the farmers will have had adequate information — even before May 15, actually — to determine whether or not they feel that the 1964 wheat program, the administration program which passed last year, is or is not in their best interest. And I do believe very seriously that we do the farmers and everyone else in Western Kansas who rely directly or indirectly upon farmers for their livelihood a great disservice by postponing the referendum until such time as Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman feels that the referendum might carry.

I think the important thing is to give the farmer the choice, give him the facts, stop the spending of useless thousands and thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money by this administration in an effort to sell the program. If you'll give the farmer the facts - the unvarnished facts about the program - he'll make up his mind, he'll decide whether he should vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and I don't think it's necessary for this administration or any other administration to propagandize the farmer with respect to the wheat referendum. But I do feel that unless we have it at an early date, we'll be in a position where Congress will be busy with other business, and as I’ve said before, the earlier the referendum is held, the better chance we have for passing alternative legislation in the event it should fail. And if the referendum passes, then the farmer has just as much more time to make adequate plans for the 1964 wheat crop.

There’s been a lot of talk about the budget and taxes and I can say that our mail without exception, as far as I know — and I try to read every letter — indicates two things: the general public cannot understand how the government, any more than they can do it in their own home, can increase spending and talk about reducing taxes. This just doesn't make sense, it's not logical, it's not logical to me or those who write me concerning this issue. The general tenor of our mail has been as follows: certainly, everyone would like a tax cut — I don't know of anyone who wouldn't like a tax cut regardless of the bracket they might be in. But at the same time, our responsible citizens of Western Kansas recognize that you cannot have a tax cut and still be in a fiscally sound position unless we can reduce some of the federal spending. There has been talk about where the spending reductions should come, and I was privileged on last Thursday to visit the Senate and listen to Senator Robertson from Virginia, a Democrat, talk about specific areas where he felt we could chop at least $6 billion off the president's budget. And certainly, there are many Members of Congress — this is not a partisan issue — who believe that we can make substantial reductions in the budget, we can make across-the-board cuts in many cases and reduce the swelling ranks of federal employees. I think this is one area that we certainly have overlooked to a large extent.

Our time has gone, I again want to thank you and invite your comments and suggestions. Just write to me, Congressman Bob Dole, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Thanks for listening.

This is your First District Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. As in the past I certainly wish to thank this station for carrying our report as a public service. I might add again, too, that we certainly appreciate the many comments and suggestions we have as a result of our weekly radio programs. And also as I've said that many times in the past, we would appreciate your constructive criticisms, appreciate your suggesting topics you might like to have discussed on our weekly radio programs. And I want to stress again the importance of communications between your Members of Congress and the people. I think it is most important that we communicate with one another on matters of vital importance, not only to our district, but to the state of Kansas, and to our nation.

At the present time, our committee on agriculture is not functioning. On the 27th of last month I introduced legislation which would require the wheat referendum to be held not later than May 15. I still think this is sound legislation; there should be no controversy about it, it is not a partisan issue, it is not directed at Republican or Democrat farmers, it merely states that in no case shall the Secretary [of Agriculture] hold the referendum later than May 15. It seems to me that in this year we’ve had plenty of time and the farmers will have had adequate information — even before May 15, actually — to determine whether or not they feel that the 1964 wheat program, the administration program which passed last year, is or is not in their best interest. And I do believe very seriously that we do the farmers and everyone else in Western Kansas who rely directly or indirectly upon farmers for their livelihood a great disservice by postponing the referendum until such time as Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman feels that the referendum might carry.

I think the important thing is to give the farmer the choice, give him the facts, stop the spending of useless thousands and thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money by this administration in an effort to sell the program. If you'll give the farmer the facts - the unvarnished facts about the program - he'll make up his mind, he'll decide whether he should vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and I don't think it's necessary for this administration or any other administration to propagandize the farmer with respect to the wheat referendum. But I do feel that unless we have it at an early date, we'll be in a position where Congress will be busy with other business, and as I’ve said before, the earlier the referendum is held, the better chance we have for passing alternative legislation in the event it should fail. And if the referendum passes, then the farmer has just as much more time to make adequate plans for the 1964 wheat crop.

There’s been a lot of talk about the budget and taxes and I can say that our mail without exception, as far as I know — and I try to read every letter — indicates two things: the general public cannot understand how the government, any more than they can do it in their own home, can increase spending and talk about reducing taxes. This just doesn't make sense, it's not logical, it's not logical to me or those who write me concerning this issue. The general tenor of our mail has been as follows: certainly, everyone would like a tax cut — I don't know of anyone who wouldn't like a tax cut regardless of the bracket they might be in. But at the same time, our responsible citizens of Western Kansas recognize that you cannot have a tax cut and still be in a fiscally sound position unless we can reduce some of the federal spending. There has been talk about where the spending reductions should come, and I was privileged on last Thursday to visit the Senate and listen to Senator Robertson from Virginia, a Democrat, talk about specific areas where he felt we could chop at least $6 billion off the president's budget. And certainly, there are many Members of Congress — this is not a partisan issue — who believe that we can make substantial reductions in the budget, we can make across-the-board cuts in many cases and reduce the swelling ranks of federal employees. I think this is one area that we certainly have overlooked to a large extent.

Our time has gone, I again want to thank you and invite your comments and suggestions. Just write to me, Congressman Bob Dole, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Thanks for listening.

This is your First District Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. As in the past I certainly wish to thank this station for carrying our report as a public service. I might add again, too, that we certainly appreciate the many comments and suggestions we have as a result of our weekly radio programs. And also as I've said that many times in the past, we would appreciate your constructive criticisms, appreciate your suggesting topics you might like to have discussed on our weekly radio programs. And I want to stress again the importance of communications between your Members of Congress and the people. I think it is most important that we communicate with one another on matters of vital importance, not only to our district, but to the state of Kansas, and to our nation.

At the present time, our committee on agriculture is not functioning. On the 27th of last month I introduced legislation which would require the wheat referendum to be held not later than May 15. I still think this is sound legislation; there should be no controversy about it, it is not a partisan issue, it is not directed at Republican or Democrat farmers, it merely states that in no case shall the Secretary [of Agriculture] hold the referendum later than May 15. It seems to me that in this year we’ve had plenty of time and the farmers will have had adequate information — even before May 15, actually — to determine whether or not they feel that the 1964 wheat program, the administration program which passed last year, is or is not in their best interest. And I do believe very seriously that we do the farmers and everyone else in Western Kansas who rely directly or indirectly upon farmers for their livelihood a great disservice by postponing the referendum until such time as Secretary [of Agriculture Orville] Freeman feels that the referendum might carry.

I think the important thing is to give the farmer the choice, give him the facts, stop the spending of useless thousands and thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money by this administration in an effort to sell the program. If you'll give the farmer the facts - the unvarnished facts about the program - he'll make up his mind, he'll decide whether he should vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and I don't think it's necessary for this administration or any other administration to propagandize the farmer with respect to the wheat referendum. But I do feel that unless we have it at an early date, we'll be in a position where Congress will be busy with other business, and as I’ve said before, the earlier the referendum is held, the better chance we have for passing alternative legislation in the event it should fail. And if the referendum passes, then the farmer has just as much more time to make adequate plans for the 1964 wheat crop.

There’s been a lot of talk about the budget and taxes and I can say that our mail without exception, as far as I know — and I try to read every letter — indicates two things: the general public cannot understand how the government, any more than they can do it in their own home, can increase spending and talk about reducing taxes. This just doesn't make sense, it's not logical, it's not logical to me or those who write me concerning this issue. The general tenor of our mail has been as follows: certainly, everyone would like a tax cut — I don't know of anyone who wouldn't like a tax cut regardless of the bracket they might be in. But at the same time, our responsible citizens of Western Kansas recognize that you cannot have a tax cut and still be in a fiscally sound position unless we can reduce some of the federal spending. There has been talk about where the spending reductions should come, and I was privileged on last Thursday to visit the Senate and listen to Senator Robertson from Virginia, a Democrat, talk about specific areas where he felt we could chop at least $6 billion off the president's budget. And certainly, there are many Members of Congress — this is not a partisan issue — who believe that we can make substantial reductions in the budget, we can make across-the-board cuts in many cases and reduce the swelling ranks of federal employees. I think this is one area that we certainly have overlooked to a large extent.

Our time has gone, I again want to thank you and invite your comments and suggestions. Just write to me, Congressman Bob Dole, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Thanks for listening.