[Deschler-Brown Precedents, Volume 17, Chapters 34 - 40]
[Ch. 35. Presidential Messages & Executive Communications]
[Â§ 6. Letters From the President]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 122-126]
 
                               CHAPTER 35
 
           Presidential Messages and Executive Communications
 
Sec. 6. Letters From the President

Letter in Support of Bill

Sec. 6.1 During debate in the Committee of the Whole, the Clerk, by 
    unanimous consent, read a letter from the President to the Speaker 
    in which the President expressed his support for the bill then 
    under consideration.

    On Nov. 20, 1969,(1) while the House was sitting as the 
Committee of the Whole, the Speaker, John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, rose to announce that he had just received a letter from 
the President relating to the legislation then under discussion.
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 1. 115 Cong. Rec. 35192, 35193, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
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    The following proceedings ensued:

        Mr. McCORMACK. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
        Mr. Chairman, I have just received a letter from President 
    Nixon. I understand the minority leader also received a letter. I 
    received it a few minutes ago. It relates to the bill pending 
    before the House. I would like to have the contents of the letter 
    read to the House so that the Members will have in mind the views 
    expressed by the President in his letter to me.
        Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk be 
    authorized to read the letter of the President of the United 
    States.
        The CHAIRMAN.(2) Is there objection to the request 
    of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
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 2. Charles M. Price (IL).
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        There was no objection.
        The Clerk read the letter as follows:

                                                  The White House,

                                                       Washington.


[[Page 123]]


                                             Hon. John W. McCormack,

                                  Speaker, House of Representatives,

                                                    Washington, D.C.

        Dear Mr. Speaker:. . .
        . . . [I] hope that Congressional leaders will approach this 
    year's decisions on foreign assistance with a full appreciation of 
    the serious consequences of both the reductions so far and any 
    deeper cuts that may be advocated. Such reductions will have 
    virtually no effect on our actual expenditures in FY 1970 because 
    of the lag in actually disbursing the funds, but would have an 
    extremely serious impact on our leadership responsibilities in this 
    important field. I therefore urge you to avoid or minimize further 
    cuts in the bill now before the House.

              Sincerely,

                                                    Richard Nixon.

        Mr. McCORMACK. Mr. Chairman, the views of the President of the 
    United States, without regard to political party or the political 
    party of the President, are always worthy of consideration by the 
    Members of this body.

Letter Treated as Executive Communication

Sec. 6.2 A letter from the President to the Speaker, advocating certain 
    legislative action, was laid before the House.

    On Nov. 12, 1969,(1) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, laid before the House a letter from the President of the 
United States, which was read and referred to the Committee on 
Interstate and Foreign Commerce and ordered to be 
printed.(2)
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 1. 115 Cong. Rec. 33739, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
 2. See also 103 Cong. Rec. 6019-21, 85th Cong. 1st Sess., Apr. 18, 
        1957 (letter from the President in response to a House 
        resolution requesting him to indicate where certain budget 
        reductions could be made was laid before the House by the 
        Speaker, read, referred to committee, and ordered printed).

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                                                  The White House,

                               Washington, D.C., November 6, 1969.

                                             Hon. John W. McCormack,

                            Speaker of the House of Representatives,

                                                    Washington, D.C.

        Dear Mr. Speaker: Air transportation is a rapidly growing and 
    vital part of the national economy. It is essential that we keep 
    our air transportation system safe, economic and efficient. I have 
    stressed many times my determination to take the steps necessary to 
    maintain the safety and improve the effectiveness of the nation's 
    air traffic control system. . . .
        Since the continuing resolution has held the operation of the 
    Department of Transportation so far in the fiscal year to the 
    fiscal year 1969 level, no additional appropriations beyond the 
    pending 1970 budget request will be required to support these 
    additional 1,000 traffic controller positions.
        I urgently request that the Congress approve this proposal.

              Sincerely,

                                                    Richard Nixon.

[[Page 124]]

Sec. 6.3 The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the President 
    supporting a bill then pending before the House.

    On Sept. 14, 1970,(1) the Speaker laid before the House 
the following communication from the President of the United States. It 
was read and referred to the Committee on Banking and Currency and 
ordered to be printed.(2)
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 1. 116 Cong. Rec. 31422, 91st Cong. 2d Sess.
 2. But see Sec. 2.2, supra.

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                                                  The White House,

                                   Washington, September 11, 1970.

                                             Hon. John W. McCormack,

                            Speaker of the House of Representatives,

                                                    Washington, D.C.

        Dear Mr. Speaker: There is now pending before the House a bill 
    of vital importance to the international economic and financial 
    interests of the United States. H.R. 18306 authorizes increased 
    U.S. participation in four multilateral financial institutions: . . 
    .
        This legislation has my full support. I believe that the 
    national interest will be served by passage of H.R. 18306, and I 
    strongly urge prompt and favorable action by the House of 
    Representatives.

              Sincerely,

                                                    Richard Nixon.

Enclosure and Reading of Communication From Foreign Head of State

Sec. 6.4 A letter from the President transmitting a communication from 
    the Queen of Great Britain was read; the communication from the 
    Queen was also read.

    On May 23, 1952,(1) the Speaker laid before the House a 
letter from the President, which was read. Also read was an enclosed 
letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

 1. 98 Cong. Rec. 5864, 82d Cong. 2d Sess.
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                                                  The White House,

                                         Washington, May 22, 1952.

                                                   Hon. Sam Rayburn,

                            Speaker of the House of Representatives.

        My Dear Mr. Speaker: I am transmitting herewith a copy of a 
    letter I have received from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, asking 
    me to convey to the Members of the House of Representatives her 
    deep appreciation for their sentiments of sympathy and their 
    tribute to the memory of His late Majesty.

              Very sincerely yours,

                                                     Harry Truman.



                                   Buckingham Palace, May 7, 1952.

                    The President of the United States of America.

        Mr. President: I have received your letter dated the 4th day of 
    March, with

[[Page 125]]

    which you sent to me the texts of resolutions directed respectively 
    by the United States Senate to my governments in the United Kingdom 
    of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and in the other countries of 
    the Commonwealth and by the United States House of Representatives 
    to my government in the United Kingdom.
        In thanking you for your kindness in forwarding these 
    resolutions and for the personal sympathy which you have expressed 
    toward me in doing so, I request that you will be good enough to 
    convey to the Senate and the House of Representatives my deep 
    appreciation of the sentiments to which they have given expression 
    and of their tributes to the memory of His late Majesty. . . .

              Your sincere friend,

                                                      Elizabeth R.

Letters Presenting Gifts to the House

Sec. 6.5 The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the President 
    transmitting a historic object and suggesting that it might be 
    exhibited in the House.

    On June 26, 1942,(1) the Speaker laid the following 
letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt before the House:

 1. 88 Cong. Rec. 5618, 5619, 77th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The SPEAKER. The Chair lays before the House the following 
    letter from the President of the United States:

                                                  The White House,

                                        Washington, June 29, 1942.

                                                   Hon. Sam Rayburn,

                                  Speaker, House of Representatives,

                                                 Washington, D. C.

        Dear Mr. Speaker: Early this year Mr. John Marshall Gamble of 
    Santa Barbara, Calif., sent to me a very old silver ladle which 
    belonged to Jonathan Dayton, Speaker of the House of 
    Representatives from 1795 to 1799. I thought this might be a very 
    interesting thing for you to have in the House of Representatives 
    to exhibit with my compliments and those of Mr. Gamble. . . .

              Very sincerely yours,

                                            Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Correction of Error in Presidential Message

Sec. 6.6 The Speaker laid before the House a communication to the 
    Speaker from the Secretary to the President in which the Secretary 
    to the President set forth a correction to a Presidential message 
    transmitted to the House earlier that day.

    On June 29, 1946,(1) Speaker Sam Rayburn, of Texas, laid 
before the House the following communication:(2)
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 1. 92 Cong. Rec. 8014, 8015, 79th Cong. 2d Sess.
 2. The House has allowed the President to withdraw certain papers 
        inadvertently included with a written message. See 5 Hinds' 
        Precedents Sec. 6651. On one occasion, the President submitted 
        a message withdrawing proposed rescissions of budget authority 
        submitted under Sec. 1012 of the Impoundment Control Act of 
        1974 by the previous administration. See 127 Cong. Rec. 2219, 
        97th Cong. 1st Sess., Feb. 17, 1981 (H. Doc. No. 97-19, printed 
        127 Cong. Rec. 2170, Feb. 16, 1981).
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                                                  The White House,

                                         Washington, June 23, 1942


[[Page 126]]



        Memorandum for the Speaker:
        On page 10 of the Message of the President returning to the 
    House of Representatives today, without approval, H.R. 6042, ``An 
    act to amend the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942, as amended, 
    and the Stabilization Act of 1942, as amended, and for other 
    purposes,'' the date October 1-15, 1946 appears incorrectly in the 
    next to the last paragraph. This date should read October 1-15, 
    1941 (instead of 1946).
        Will you kindly have the official copy and the Record corrected 
    accordingly?

                                                  Charles G. Ross,

                                        Secretary to the President

        The SPEAKER. Without objection, the correction will be made.
        There was no objection.
                   DESCHLER-BROWN-JOHNSON PRECEDENTS
Ch. 35 

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