Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 17 (XVII), 12/17/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Title:

Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 17 (XVII), 12/17/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Number of Pages:

39

Description:

Russell Long's support for LBJ's programs and how Long compared to Harry Byrd, Sr., as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; tax increases to help pay for the Vietnam War; Winston Prouty's and Vance Hartke's proposed amendments to change Social Security eligibility and exempt local telephone services from the excise tax restoration; the annual debate over raising the debt ceiling and foreign aid; a proposed rider exempting the proposed National Football League (NFL)-American Football League (AFL) football merger from antitrust law; the relationship between Congress and the NFL; the desirability of bringing an NFL franchise to a town to boost the economy there; proposed legislation regarding tax credits; the role of conference committees and how supportive they were of the administration; selection of conference committee members; the dollar check-off bill; the efforts of special interest groups and individuals who worked or were in business overseas; what a closed rule is and how Wilbur Mills used it; the unsuccessful 1966 civil rights bill; efforts to get Everett Dirksen's support for civil rights; the effect of the Watts riot on the civil rights legislation; provisions of the bill to address civil rights-related violence; support for Food for Peace from Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Harold Cooley; the creation of the Department of Transportation and pressure to keep the Maritime Administration separate; the 1966 minimum wage increase; the Demonstration Cities/Model Cities Program; parcel post revisions and opposition from the private sector; expansion of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); Higher Education amendments of 1966 and Congress' willingness to pass education legislation; the Traffic and Auto Safety Act; Ralph Nader; the auto industry's response to the Traffic and Auto Safety Act; truth-in-lending and truth-in-packaging legislation; a report by O'Brien and Joe Califano summarizing the productivity of the 89th Congress.

Contributor:

O'Brien, Lawrence F. (Lawrence Francis), 1917-1990

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Lawrence F. O'Brien

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details