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IMMEDIATELiffiLEASE

DECEMBER 20, 1945

The President today sent the following identical letters to
Senator Robert F. Wagner and Representative Carter Manasco*
The Full Employment Bill adopted by the Senate modified
the language of the original bill but did not remove its essential
provisions*
On December 14, 1945, however, the House sent to conference
a wholly new measure lacking the essential features of the
Full Employment Bill as passed by the Senate# Many of the Repre­
sentatives who voted for the House bill did so, I believe, in
the belief that the conferees would have an opportunity to
restore the essentials of the Senate bill*
In my opinion no bill which provides substantially less
than the Senate version can efficiently accomplish the purposes
intended# I urge the conferees to support the essential charac­
teristics of the Full Employment Bill as contained in the legis­
lation adopted by the Senate by a vote of 71 to 10#
The essential characteristics of effective legislation to
establish a national policy in respect to employment opportunity,
as I see them, were described in my message to the Congress on
September 6, as follows:
MA national reassertion of the right to work for
every American citizen able and willing io work — a
declaration of the ultimate duty of Government to use
its own resources if all other methods should fail to
prevent prolonged unemployment — these will help to
avert fear and establish full employment* The prompt
and firm acceptance of this bedrock public responsibility
will reduce the need for its exercise*
”
1 ask that full employment legislation to provide
these vital assurances be speedily enacted# • . .
I hope that the bongress will adopt a bill substantially in
the form passed by the Senate#4