Tape: WH6411.14

Conversation: 6307

Date: November 09, 1964 12:20PM

Notes:

This is a clip (2:57.89 to 6:38.4). The original full audio can be found here.

Transcript:

Albert: And now there's one other thing, which I think could be real important, and that is [that] there are three vacancies on Ways and Means. And all these fellows are thinking in terms of giving us two of them and the Republicans one, which would be 17 to 8. And that, of course, would give us control on Medicare, which we need. But, there's a danger of the depletion thing getting out of hand on that. That's got to be watched real close. And I don't believe the Speaker's going to be too interested in that phase of it.

President Johnson: You better just tell him that "That's something that you’ve got to be interested in."

Albert: And that . . . well, he's pretty . . . hefty now on – he told me, he said, “We've got to liberalize these rules. We may never have another chance.” But we could go too far and hurt the Democratic Party in many areas of the country. I hope I can talk to him about that, but I just wanted you to know that. If they add two members, we want to be darn sure that we get somebody. Now, I could – I don't know, I was thinking about maybe Ed Edmundson. He'd be a good one because he'd go with you on everything, except that one thing.

President Johnson: I'd just demand him then, if I were you.

Albert: I think we should. Although they may take it away from him. This is going to be a wild bunch now. And I think you ought to be advised of this. Then another thing, I think they're going to want to add some members to the District [of Columbia] Committee. And as far as I'm concerned, that's all right. I don't have any objection to – I don't care what they do about the District committee. It's packed with extremists, as you well know, the deep Southerners and the extreme liberals. And I don't know. I think we ought to know where we're going on it and how far we want to go and the first step on home-rule in the District. As far as I'm concerned, you can go all the way. It really doesn't bother me at that point. But I do think this Ways and Means thing, and I think this purging too, ought to be looked at long and solid before we make up our minds we're going to do it. And I have talked to the Speaker. I found him very much inclined to push for strong liberalization and to give this thing the McCormack image just as fast as he can, of a long liberal approach to the modification of the rules. Now, the 21 day rule liberalization I think it will probably take the form of giving the Speaker the authority after 21 days to recognize the Chairman of the Committee or any other member. If we have that, why of course, it won't matter then whether Mills is for Medicare or not. Now, we can pass Medicare. There isn't any question; we can pass it by discharge petition if we have to. And I think Mills will give. I think he'll see defeat. If he doesn't, he's not as smart as I think he is.