Statements by the President on the First Day of the Republican Legislative Conference in the Cabinet Room.

[Remarks at the opening session at 8:30 a.m.]

I HAVE CALLED this meeting of the Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives and the Chairmen of the various standing committees for the purpose of advising with me on the legislative program which I propose to set forth in the President's State of the Union and Budget Messages.

I am very happy to see you and have your cooperation at this time. With it we can all look forward to another successful, sound and productive session of Congress. I am convinced--as I know you are--that the people of this country are looking to the Republican Party to continue to enact a forward-looking, progressive program that will serve the welfare of 160 million people, and I know we shall succeed.

This will be in furtherance of the program we started last year which, among other things:

Stopped the shooting and casualty lists in Korea.

Reduced by thirteen billion dollars the previous Administration's requests for new appropriations.

Cleared the way for January tax reductions in personal income taxes and excess profits taxes.

Stabilized the purchasing power of the citizen's dollar and stopped inflation.

Removed stifling controls on our economy.

Extended emergency aid to agriculture and assisted those in drought-affected areas.

Removed security risks from Federal service on the simple premise that those disloyal to or unsuitable for Federal Government cannot work for it.

Strengthened our defenses and those of the free world against Communist aggression.

Enacted emergency legislation permitting additional immigration in urgent situations.

In accordance with our agreement, I expect to deliver my State of the Union Message to the Congress personally on January 7th, the day after the Congress convenes. The Budget Message and the Economic Report will be sent up soon thereafter. Under these circumstances, I know you realize that all of the matters that we will discuss will be confidential. In order, however, to give the public information and minimize speculation, I shall make a statement at the end of each day, in which I shall give a general report on how the meetings progressed as well as the names of those who attended each session.

The American people have vested in the Republican Party the responsibility of government. With that responsibility we have a great opportunity to advance the welfare of our country. Now let's go to work.

[ Statement at the end of the first day ]

THE CONFERENCE opened this morning at 8:30 a.m. with a general discussion on the legislative program I propose to submit to the Congress. Those attending this part of the meeting included: the Cabinet, the Congressional leaders, and members of the White House staff.

The opening statement that I made to the meeting has already been released and the discussion followed this general outline.

Representative John Taber, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Representative Dewey Short, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, joined the conference after this general discussion. During the remainder of the morning the conference dealt with matters affecting the defense program, foreign operations, absentee voting for overseas armed services personnel, and the Federal budget. Mr. Kyes, Mr. Stassen, Mr. Cutler, and Mr. Dodge presented detailed analyses of these respective subjects. The Defense, Foreign Operations, and Budget administrators reviewed what they found when this Administration took office; what had been accomplished this year and what goals the Administration is seeking to attain during the coming year.

The fiscal outlook was for a continuation of the substantial progress this Administration has already made in its revision of the Budget for fiscal 1954 that was prepared by the previous Administration. In fiscal 1955, we will continue this progress by further reduction of expenditures and further reduction of new spending authority.

At the afternoon session the Conference was joined by: Senator Homer E. Capehart, Chairman of the Senate Banking and Currency Committee; Senator H. Alexander Smith, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare; Representative Jesse P. Wolcott, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee; Representative Samuel K. McConnell, Jr., Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

In the first part of the afternoon, Mr. Cole, the Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, presented for consideration a legislative program with especial emphasis on assisting low income families in obtaining good housing accommodations.

Next the Secretary of Labor discussed the plans of the Labor Department and outlined suggested amendments to the Taft-Hartley Act. Also, he discussed changes in the Unemployment Compensation program providing for extended coverage. The Secretary of Commerce also attended this session.

The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare then started a discussion of the health plans of her Department. Mrs. Hobby will continue discussion of other topics tomorrow.

On the basis of our first day of conference, I am sure I speak for all at the conference when I say that the leaders of the Republican Party will continue to present a successful, sound, and productive program that will serve the welfare of 160 million Americans.