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Title
Box 9, Folder 23, Document 10
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4
)
i) ROY WILKINS, Chairman
NAY ARNOLD ARONSON, Secretary
LL EA D = R Ss Fi l P = JOSEPH L. RAUH, JR., Counsel
CONFERENCE |
ON
CIVIL RIGHTS
CLARENCE M. MITCHELL, Legislative Chairman
MARVIN CAPLAN, Director Washington Office
J. FRANCIS POHLHAUS, Special Consultant
YVONNE PRICE, Executive Assistant
2027 Mass. Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 phone 667-1780 © New York address: 20 West 40th St., New York 10018, phone BRyant 93-1400
MEMO NO, 21-67
October 27, 1967
EO: Participating Organizations
FROM: Arnold Aronson, Secretary
A SOCIAL SECURITY BILL THAT PUNISHES THE POOR
What began as an attempt by Congress to modernize the Social Security
Act has, in the bill the House approved, resulted in several proposals that seem
both backward and punitive,
Some of the House proposals come close to taking the long discredited
view that the proper way to handle welfare is to insult the people who need it and
try to push or scare them off the rolls,
recipients who refuse to take any jobs offered to them, it was excoriated through
When Newburgh, New York, in 1962, proposed to cut off assistance to
out the nation for its medieval attitude, Yet the House-passed bill (H.R. 12080)
has a provision that would authorize much that sort of treatment to dependent.
mothers and their children,
When Louisiana sought to cut off-aid to mothers who gave birth to illegiti-
mate children after going on relief, the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare ruled the plan invalid, Yet the House, by placing a ceiling on aid to
needy children seems to be trying, indirectly, to put its own limits on births,
The social security amendments are now before the Senate and it is here
that we must concentrate our efforts for improvements in the 32-year-old statute
that will make it responsive to the present needs of American society.
A Loophole for Hospitals
In one of our recent MEMOs (No. 19-67; October 9), we sounded the alarm
in regard to an amendment that was not in the House-passed measure but was to be
proposed as an addition to the bill during current consideration of it by the Senate
“Cooperation in the Common Cause of Civil Rights for All”
Bei
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC.
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
AMALGAMATED CLOTHING WORKERS OF AMERICA
AMALGAMATED MEAT CUTTERS & BUTCHER WORKMEN
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
AMERICAN ETHICAL UNION
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR — CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL
ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER GUILD
AMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE
AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OF B'NAI B'RITH
A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE
BISHOP'S COMMITTEE FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING
B'NAI B'RITH WOMEN
BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEPING CAR PORTERS
CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN - BRETHREN SERVICE COMMISSION
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
CITIZENS LOBBY FOR FREFOOM «&
COLLEGE YCS NATIONAL
CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUAL '
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY
EPISCOPAL SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL AND RACIAL UNITY
FRANCISCAN JURISDICTION OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL
HADASSAH
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES AND BARTENDERS
INTERNATIONAL UNION
FAIR PLAY
IMPROVED BENEVOLENT & PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS OF THE WORLD
INDUSTRIAL UNION DEPARTMENT — AFL-CIO
INTERNATIONAL LADIES GARMENT WORKERS’ UNION OF AMERICA
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ELECTRICAL RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS
IOTA PH! LAMBDA SORORITY, INC.
JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE
JEWISH LABOR COMMITTEE
JEWISH WAR VETERANS
LABOR ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA
LEAGUE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY
LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA— BOARD OF SOCIAL MINISTRY
MEDICAL COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF POSTAL & FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE WOMEN
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLORED WOMEN’S CLUBS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEGRO BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN'S CLUBS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION, U. S. A.
WATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL BEAUTY CULTURISTS' LEAGUE, INC.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC CONFERENCE FOR INTERRACIAL JUSTICE
NATIONAL CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTION CONFERENCE
NATIONAL COMMUNITY RELATIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES—DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO.WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PUERTO RICAN VOLUNTEERS, INC.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SENIOR CITIZENS, INC.
NATIONAL DENTAL ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL FARMERS UNION
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC COLLEGE STUDENTS
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SETTLEMENTS & NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF TEMPLE SISTERHOODS
NATIONAL JEWISH WELFARE BOARD
NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL NEWMAN STUDENT FEDERATION
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MEXICAN-AMERICAN SERVICES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
NATIONAL SHARECROPPERS FUND
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
NEGRO AMERICAN LABOR COUNCIL
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH—DIVISION OF CHRISTIAN
OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC.
PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INC.
PHI DELTA KAPPA SORORITY
PIONEER WOMEN, AMERICAN AFFAIRS
PRESBYTERIAN INTERRACIAL COUNCIL
OIL, CHEMICAL & ATOMIC WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION
CITIZENSHIP
RETAIL WHOLESALE & DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
SOUTHERN BEAUTY CONGRESS, INC.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
TEXTILE WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA
TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA
UNION OF AMERICAN HEBREW CONGREGATIONS
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION — COMMISSION ON RELIGION
& RACE
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WOMEN’S FEDERATION
UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKERS OF AMERICA
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST — COMMITTEE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE NOW
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST— COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ACTION
UNITED HEBREW TRADES
UNITED PACKINGHOUSE, FOOD & ALLIED WORKERS
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — COMMISSION ON RELIGION & RACE
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — OFFICE OF CHURCH & SOCIETY
UNITED RUBBER WORKERS
UNITED STATES NATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
UNITED STATES YOUTH COUNCIL
UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA
UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA
UNITED TRANSPORT SERVICE EMPLOYEES '
UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE & FREEDOM
WORKERS DEFENSE LEAGUE
WORKMEN'S CIRCLE
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE USA
ZETA PH| BETA SORORITY
ae
Finance Commitiee, This was the amendment offered by Senator Herman Talmadge
(D-Ga,.) that would enable patients to receive Federal medical benefits in hospitals
that are not in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We pointed out, then,
the obvious danger this poses to adequate enforcement of Title VI of the Act, the
section that enables the Federal government to cut off funds to any Federally-assisted
program that discriminates,
A Cornpromise Effected
As this MEMO is written, a compromise appears to have been worked out
between HEW and Senator Talmadge, Patients in non-complying hospitals would
still be reimbursed, although the percentage of reimbursement no longer appears to
be fixed. But instead of allowing such reimbursements for a period running from
the start of Medicare in 1966 to December 31, 1968, the compromise would move
the cutoff date for such treatment to December 31, 1967.
While this is an improvement, the amendment still opens a loophole in Title
VI enforcement and should still be opposed,
New Burdens on the Poor
While the Talmadge amendment is the one that deals most specifically with
a matter of civil rights, other proposals in the House bill would fall so heavily upon
the urban poor and their large minority groups, that it seems incumbent upon the
Leadership Conference to oppose them,
At the last meeting of the Washington representatives there was unanimous
agreement that in addition to opposing the Talmadge amendment, the Conference
should express its opposition to three others:
1, Compulsory Work and Training Programs
States would be required to set up work and training programs and adults
and children over 16, who are not in school, would be required to participate or
face the loss of assistance, To mothers getting help under the Aid to Families
with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, this provision would come as a blow.
They would be forced to take jobs or training even though, in many cases, there
was no adequate day-care for their children and even though it was more important
for them to stay home and care for their youngsters,
What's more, there are no assurances that the training would be thorough ®
or lead to anything. it could very well force them, in the end, to work in dead-
end jobs for iow wages, And certainly forcing people to either work or lose the
help they need for themselves and their children returns welfare to about the level
of the mid-Victorian poorhouses.,
2. Limits on Aid to Children
The House bill would limit assistance under the AF DC program to only the
percentage of children in broken homes, as related to all children under 21 in each
state, that was receiving help in January 1967,\ For instance, if three percent of the
minor children in a state were in broken homes and on AFDC in January, the state
could not get Federal funds for more than three percent in subsequent years, no
matter how large an increase there might be in the number of poor, fatherless
youngsters living in it,
Hardest hit by this proposal would, again, be the people least able to bear
the burdens it would impose -- the migrants coming from the rural South to the
cities, For those states in which such migrants usually settle, the choice would
be bleak: either to assume the increased costs of caring for the destitute or to
simply ignore them and invite further chaos,
3. Benefits
The House bill would increase social security benefits by only 12 1/2 percent
and raises the minimum benefit from the present $44 to only $50, This is clearly
insufficient to meet the needs of individuais and families whose incomes are already
being eroded by inflation. The Administration proposal calls for a 15 percent
across-the-board increase and a 59 percent increase in the minimum to $70,
While many groups within the Leadership Conference feel even this increase
is insufficient, they are willing to endorse it as the minimum amount. The Con-
ference consensus covers the amendments outlined thus far,
There are other amendments in the bill that individual groups in the Leader-
ship Conference oppose, One particularly, is the drastic restriction the House
bill imposes on the new Medicaid (Title XIX) program of medical care for the needy,
Income limits would be established at one-third over the AF DC payments level
which would actually cut off from Medicaid eligibility welfare recipients in some
states. The bill also permits states to cutiback on the range of medical care ser-
vices provided, including the possibility of providing neither hospital nor physician
services if other less essential services are provided instead.
What Needs To Be Done
We urge all our participating organizations to join in opposing at least:
the Talmadge amendment on hospitals; the mandatory work-training provisions
and the freeze on the percentage of dependent children who can be helped. We
should strongly urge substantially larger increases in social security benefits,
both across the board and in the minimum payments.
Please write to members of the Senate Finance Committee (list attached)
and urge them to vote against these and any other amendments that would lead us
backward, plunge millions of poor people into despair and play into the hands of
cynics who say Congress is unable to meet the pressing needs of our communities.
But please act now! Toa growing and alarming extent, the War on Poverty
appears to be shifting into a War on the Poor,
=. 30 =
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Russell B, Long (D-La.), Chairman
Democrats Republicans
George A, Smathers (Fla.) John J, Williams (Del.)
Clinton P, Anderson (N.M.) Frank Carlson (Kan. )
Albert Gore (Tenn, ) Wallace F, Bennett (Utah)
Herman E, Talmadge (Ga.) Carl T. Curtis (Neb. )
Eugene J. McCarthy (Minn, ) Thurston B. Morton (Ky.)
Vance Hartke (Ind. ) Everett McKinley Dirksen (IIl.)
J. W. Fulbright (Ark.)
Abraham A, Ribicoff (Conn. )
Lee Metcalf (Mont. )
Fred R. Harris (Okla. )
)
i) ROY WILKINS, Chairman
NAY ARNOLD ARONSON, Secretary
LL EA D = R Ss Fi l P = JOSEPH L. RAUH, JR., Counsel
CONFERENCE |
ON
CIVIL RIGHTS
CLARENCE M. MITCHELL, Legislative Chairman
MARVIN CAPLAN, Director Washington Office
J. FRANCIS POHLHAUS, Special Consultant
YVONNE PRICE, Executive Assistant
2027 Mass. Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 phone 667-1780 © New York address: 20 West 40th St., New York 10018, phone BRyant 93-1400
MEMO NO, 21-67
October 27, 1967
EO: Participating Organizations
FROM: Arnold Aronson, Secretary
A SOCIAL SECURITY BILL THAT PUNISHES THE POOR
What began as an attempt by Congress to modernize the Social Security
Act has, in the bill the House approved, resulted in several proposals that seem
both backward and punitive,
Some of the House proposals come close to taking the long discredited
view that the proper way to handle welfare is to insult the people who need it and
try to push or scare them off the rolls,
recipients who refuse to take any jobs offered to them, it was excoriated through
When Newburgh, New York, in 1962, proposed to cut off assistance to
out the nation for its medieval attitude, Yet the House-passed bill (H.R. 12080)
has a provision that would authorize much that sort of treatment to dependent.
mothers and their children,
When Louisiana sought to cut off-aid to mothers who gave birth to illegiti-
mate children after going on relief, the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare ruled the plan invalid, Yet the House, by placing a ceiling on aid to
needy children seems to be trying, indirectly, to put its own limits on births,
The social security amendments are now before the Senate and it is here
that we must concentrate our efforts for improvements in the 32-year-old statute
that will make it responsive to the present needs of American society.
A Loophole for Hospitals
In one of our recent MEMOs (No. 19-67; October 9), we sounded the alarm
in regard to an amendment that was not in the House-passed measure but was to be
proposed as an addition to the bill during current consideration of it by the Senate
“Cooperation in the Common Cause of Civil Rights for All”
Bei
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC.
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
AMALGAMATED CLOTHING WORKERS OF AMERICA
AMALGAMATED MEAT CUTTERS & BUTCHER WORKMEN
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
AMERICAN ETHICAL UNION
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR — CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL
ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER GUILD
AMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE
AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OF B'NAI B'RITH
A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE
BISHOP'S COMMITTEE FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING
B'NAI B'RITH WOMEN
BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEPING CAR PORTERS
CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN - BRETHREN SERVICE COMMISSION
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
CITIZENS LOBBY FOR FREFOOM «&
COLLEGE YCS NATIONAL
CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUAL '
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY
EPISCOPAL SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL AND RACIAL UNITY
FRANCISCAN JURISDICTION OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL
HADASSAH
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES AND BARTENDERS
INTERNATIONAL UNION
FAIR PLAY
IMPROVED BENEVOLENT & PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS OF THE WORLD
INDUSTRIAL UNION DEPARTMENT — AFL-CIO
INTERNATIONAL LADIES GARMENT WORKERS’ UNION OF AMERICA
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ELECTRICAL RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS
IOTA PH! LAMBDA SORORITY, INC.
JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE
JEWISH LABOR COMMITTEE
JEWISH WAR VETERANS
LABOR ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA
LEAGUE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY
LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA— BOARD OF SOCIAL MINISTRY
MEDICAL COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF POSTAL & FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE WOMEN
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLORED WOMEN’S CLUBS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEGRO BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN'S CLUBS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS, INC.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION, U. S. A.
WATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL BEAUTY CULTURISTS' LEAGUE, INC.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC CONFERENCE FOR INTERRACIAL JUSTICE
NATIONAL CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTION CONFERENCE
NATIONAL COMMUNITY RELATIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES—DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO.WOMEN
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PUERTO RICAN VOLUNTEERS, INC.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SENIOR CITIZENS, INC.
NATIONAL DENTAL ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL FARMERS UNION
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC COLLEGE STUDENTS
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SETTLEMENTS & NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF TEMPLE SISTERHOODS
NATIONAL JEWISH WELFARE BOARD
NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL NEWMAN STUDENT FEDERATION
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MEXICAN-AMERICAN SERVICES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
NATIONAL SHARECROPPERS FUND
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
NEGRO AMERICAN LABOR COUNCIL
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH—DIVISION OF CHRISTIAN
OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC.
PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INC.
PHI DELTA KAPPA SORORITY
PIONEER WOMEN, AMERICAN AFFAIRS
PRESBYTERIAN INTERRACIAL COUNCIL
OIL, CHEMICAL & ATOMIC WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION
CITIZENSHIP
RETAIL WHOLESALE & DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
SOUTHERN BEAUTY CONGRESS, INC.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
TEXTILE WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA
TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA
UNION OF AMERICAN HEBREW CONGREGATIONS
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION — COMMISSION ON RELIGION
& RACE
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WOMEN’S FEDERATION
UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKERS OF AMERICA
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST — COMMITTEE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE NOW
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST— COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ACTION
UNITED HEBREW TRADES
UNITED PACKINGHOUSE, FOOD & ALLIED WORKERS
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — COMMISSION ON RELIGION & RACE
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — OFFICE OF CHURCH & SOCIETY
UNITED RUBBER WORKERS
UNITED STATES NATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
UNITED STATES YOUTH COUNCIL
UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA
UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA
UNITED TRANSPORT SERVICE EMPLOYEES '
UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE & FREEDOM
WORKERS DEFENSE LEAGUE
WORKMEN'S CIRCLE
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE USA
ZETA PH| BETA SORORITY
ae
Finance Commitiee, This was the amendment offered by Senator Herman Talmadge
(D-Ga,.) that would enable patients to receive Federal medical benefits in hospitals
that are not in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We pointed out, then,
the obvious danger this poses to adequate enforcement of Title VI of the Act, the
section that enables the Federal government to cut off funds to any Federally-assisted
program that discriminates,
A Cornpromise Effected
As this MEMO is written, a compromise appears to have been worked out
between HEW and Senator Talmadge, Patients in non-complying hospitals would
still be reimbursed, although the percentage of reimbursement no longer appears to
be fixed. But instead of allowing such reimbursements for a period running from
the start of Medicare in 1966 to December 31, 1968, the compromise would move
the cutoff date for such treatment to December 31, 1967.
While this is an improvement, the amendment still opens a loophole in Title
VI enforcement and should still be opposed,
New Burdens on the Poor
While the Talmadge amendment is the one that deals most specifically with
a matter of civil rights, other proposals in the House bill would fall so heavily upon
the urban poor and their large minority groups, that it seems incumbent upon the
Leadership Conference to oppose them,
At the last meeting of the Washington representatives there was unanimous
agreement that in addition to opposing the Talmadge amendment, the Conference
should express its opposition to three others:
1, Compulsory Work and Training Programs
States would be required to set up work and training programs and adults
and children over 16, who are not in school, would be required to participate or
face the loss of assistance, To mothers getting help under the Aid to Families
with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, this provision would come as a blow.
They would be forced to take jobs or training even though, in many cases, there
was no adequate day-care for their children and even though it was more important
for them to stay home and care for their youngsters,
What's more, there are no assurances that the training would be thorough ®
or lead to anything. it could very well force them, in the end, to work in dead-
end jobs for iow wages, And certainly forcing people to either work or lose the
help they need for themselves and their children returns welfare to about the level
of the mid-Victorian poorhouses.,
2. Limits on Aid to Children
The House bill would limit assistance under the AF DC program to only the
percentage of children in broken homes, as related to all children under 21 in each
state, that was receiving help in January 1967,\ For instance, if three percent of the
minor children in a state were in broken homes and on AFDC in January, the state
could not get Federal funds for more than three percent in subsequent years, no
matter how large an increase there might be in the number of poor, fatherless
youngsters living in it,
Hardest hit by this proposal would, again, be the people least able to bear
the burdens it would impose -- the migrants coming from the rural South to the
cities, For those states in which such migrants usually settle, the choice would
be bleak: either to assume the increased costs of caring for the destitute or to
simply ignore them and invite further chaos,
3. Benefits
The House bill would increase social security benefits by only 12 1/2 percent
and raises the minimum benefit from the present $44 to only $50, This is clearly
insufficient to meet the needs of individuais and families whose incomes are already
being eroded by inflation. The Administration proposal calls for a 15 percent
across-the-board increase and a 59 percent increase in the minimum to $70,
While many groups within the Leadership Conference feel even this increase
is insufficient, they are willing to endorse it as the minimum amount. The Con-
ference consensus covers the amendments outlined thus far,
There are other amendments in the bill that individual groups in the Leader-
ship Conference oppose, One particularly, is the drastic restriction the House
bill imposes on the new Medicaid (Title XIX) program of medical care for the needy,
Income limits would be established at one-third over the AF DC payments level
which would actually cut off from Medicaid eligibility welfare recipients in some
states. The bill also permits states to cutiback on the range of medical care ser-
vices provided, including the possibility of providing neither hospital nor physician
services if other less essential services are provided instead.
What Needs To Be Done
We urge all our participating organizations to join in opposing at least:
the Talmadge amendment on hospitals; the mandatory work-training provisions
and the freeze on the percentage of dependent children who can be helped. We
should strongly urge substantially larger increases in social security benefits,
both across the board and in the minimum payments.
Please write to members of the Senate Finance Committee (list attached)
and urge them to vote against these and any other amendments that would lead us
backward, plunge millions of poor people into despair and play into the hands of
cynics who say Congress is unable to meet the pressing needs of our communities.
But please act now! Toa growing and alarming extent, the War on Poverty
appears to be shifting into a War on the Poor,
=. 30 =
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Russell B, Long (D-La.), Chairman
Democrats Republicans
George A, Smathers (Fla.) John J, Williams (Del.)
Clinton P, Anderson (N.M.) Frank Carlson (Kan. )
Albert Gore (Tenn, ) Wallace F, Bennett (Utah)
Herman E, Talmadge (Ga.) Carl T. Curtis (Neb. )
Eugene J. McCarthy (Minn, ) Thurston B. Morton (Ky.)
Vance Hartke (Ind. ) Everett McKinley Dirksen (IIl.)
J. W. Fulbright (Ark.)
Abraham A, Ribicoff (Conn. )
Lee Metcalf (Mont. )
Fred R. Harris (Okla. )
Comments