Senator Kennedy and Senator Potter Debate Welfare
Senator Kennedy and Senator Potter Debate Welfare
Master 1493 - Tape 2 John Fitzgerald Kennedy debates Charles Edward Potter on the issue of public assistance (welfare). CU U.S. Senator JOHN F. KENNEDY (D-MA) speaking: "If a worker is getting a benefit of 10 weeks, he will get an extra 5 weeks. If he is getting 20 weeks, he will get an extra 10 weeks. Now, that helps, but I don't think enough. Many states provide inadequate duration. It's no good if you re only getting eight or nine or ten weeks. To provide an extra five weeks your benefits will still go out and you'll still be on public welfare. In addition, it does nothing about amounts and it does nothing about a really substantial improvement in the unemployment compensation system, which is overdue." Non-SMPTE countdown leader (9 to 3). CU U.S. Senator CHARLES E. POTTER (R-MI) speaking: "Now, Senator Kennedy's bill is a bill which has embodied in that bill many provisions that have been before the Congress for some time and are extremely controversial in nature for the federal government to set standards as to rates and rations. The President's program eliminates the controversy and extends unemployment compensation to state standards. This is not permanent legislation we're talking about. We're talking about legislation to deal with an immediate problem..."