Lyndon B. Johnson photo

Statement by the President Following House Action on the Economic Opportunity Bill.

August 08, 1964

ALL Americans can be proud of the action taken today by the House of Representatives in committing the strength and talents of our nation to war on poverty.

The goal is high. We shall not reach it easily or swiftly.

We have by this compassionate commitment kept faith with the morality of our society and I congratulate the members of both parties in Congress who have supported this historic measure.

The struggle of this century between freedom and tyranny has been a struggle among men in many lands to find a system which would relieve them from the oppression of poverty.

I believe we can and should be proud that it is our free society--and our system of responsible capitalism--which is first able and willing to make a credible commitment to eradicate poverty among its own people.

This bill gives us the tools with which to begin our work.

Success in this depends upon the quality of response citizens offer in every community. Our objective is national--but realization of it will come through local effort, local leadership, local vision. I call upon all who share concern for the character of their own communities to enlist in this war against the blight and blemish of the poverty which exists amid plenty.

The program implemented by this legislation presents a particularly challenging opportunity to young Americans. As other generations have gone to war abroad to protect our Nation's values, today's generations will have through the war on poverty a rare opportunity to serve those values in peace.

We are opening the door of opportunity a little wider for more of our people and that is what has always made our country stronger and more successful.

Note: For the President's remarks upon signing the Economic Opportunity Act, see Item 528.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Statement by the President Following House Action on the Economic Opportunity Bill. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/242098

Filed Under

Categories

Simple Search of Our Archives