Documents / Official release
This file from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library holds press releases and statements that House Republican Leader Gerald R. Ford issued between January and April 1966. Most cover Vietnam policy, the war on poverty, inflation, foreign aid, the federal budget and changes in his press staff. An April 21, 1966 statement says the Air Force told Ford it would contract a university with no close Air Force ties to have scientists study unexplained UFO sightings and make the report public. According to Ford, his call for congressional hearings led to this study.
“The Pentagon”5 pages
. ·'i. CONGRESSMAN GERALD R. FORD HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER NEWS RELEASE For release Jan. 26, 1966 WASHINGTON, n.c.--- A "just and secure peace" is the United Statest "only objective" in Viet Nam and "our only aim is to promptly bring home all American servicemen---alive and whole, 11 Congressman Gerald Ro Ford said today. The House Republican leader said in a newsletter to Fifth District constituents "our only opposition is to getting bogged down in an extended and massive land war in the jungles of Southeast Asia." Ford predicted that this type of war 11could go on for many years and produce thousands of casual ties." President Johnson can expect Republican support in his peace efforts~ Ford said in pledging similar backing of 11mili tary efforts." "~Te will support anything which Mr. Johnson does to obtain a prompt, just, and secure peace, 11 Ford said. 11 If this can be accomplished by immediate negotiations to achieve freedom and independence for the Vietnamese, we will support such actiono 11 Ford concluded, "knowing that there is no substitute for victory, we will back the President in his every effort to achieve military or diplomatic success" in Viet Nam 0 Turning to the Administration's so-called war on poverty, Ford said Republicans are 11pleased11 that the President 11 has finally named a full-time commander-in-chief" of the big program. Referring to Sargeant Shriver, who recently was relieved of his Peace Corps assignment, Ford said he hopes the new fulltime director of the Office of Economic Opportunity "will change the course of the war (on poverty) and bring some sort of order out of the present chaos." Rapping the handling of the poverty program, Ford cited "misuse of poverty funds,_ disastrous results", arguments among administrators 1 and resignations of top officials. -more- ·.,Digitized from Box D4 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Official release, from the nara collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 55 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.