FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 3, 1966

_ OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

 

THE WHITE .HOUSE

_ REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
UPON PRESENTATION OF HEART-OF=THE “YEAR
AWARD OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
TO CONGRESSMAN JOHN E.. FOGARTY
IN THE THEATER

AT 11:40 A.M, EST

THE PRESIDENT: . Congressman Fogarty, Dr. Taussig,
Ladies and Gentlemen: When we read that a. fully functioning
heart is possible within five years, we. pay tribute to Con-
gressional Leadership, and particularly to Congressman John
Fogarty of Rhode Island.

When we finally call a halt to the wholesale murder
of heart disease, all of us will bless the day that Congress
took effective action. John Fogarty represents the little
State of Rhode Island in the United States Congress, but his
crusade for better health has led him often to the first
house of the land,

He came here last August 4th for the signing of
the Community Facilities Act. He was back again the next
day at the signing of the Community Health Services Exten-
sion Act, Community Mental Health Centers one week; Community
Health Service Extension Act the next week,

Four days later he came back to ‘see uS aS a sponsor
of the National Institutes of Health for the signing of the
Health Research Facilities Act. In October he was back at
the White House again for the signing of the Heart, Cancer
and Stroke Amendments, to establish Regional ‘Medical Centers
to help us in fighting these killer diseases,

Now he is back with us again this morning. He
doesn't have a bill in his pocket, a Congressional bill, I
mean, but this, I think, I can tell you: When. jhe comes to
this house, he is always welcome,

For John Fogarty knows what we all must learn, and
that is that no society can be.great which is not first of
all healthy. The healing miracles that we achieve .must not
be gifts for Americans only, and that is why we have sug-
gested another health measure for this Nation to discuss,
debate, consider, and, I hope, ultimately act upon, That is
the International Health Act of 1966,

That is to launch a cooperative effort by all of
the world's people to make a determined and organized attempt
to conquer disease wherever it exists in human beings. I
don't let you in on any secret when I say I am hopeful that
after this International Health Act of 1966 is considered in
the House and Senate that it will not be long before John
Fogarty is back here, and Dr, Taussig, paying us another visit,
and waiting for his pen.

The world cannot wait, The clock is ticking.

MORE (OVER)
Page 2

I know that as we work on these messages, outline
our hopes and our purposes, our ambitions in the. world,. that
some people may think that we have too many goodies, that we
are pretty visionary, and that we have scmething for everyone.

The cynical sometimes are critical. But I know of
no more worthy motive or purpose that a human being can have
than to try to lay out as his or her goal a program that will
educate the mind and that will conquer disease in the body
and that will permit your children and your people to live
in an atmosphere and an environment of beauty and culture
and enjoy the better things of life.

Now, we cannot conquer disease and we cannot edu-
cate all humanity and we cannot have a symphony ‘in every town,
and we cannot have a Mellon Art Gallery in every Capital, but
we can hope for them and we can work for them and we can give
what we have to them, and we can urge them and provide leader~-
ship and ideas and try to move along.

I was reading a speech: late last night that the
Postmaster General under President Roosevelt made, and he
talked about his first 100 days and his first 100 bills, and
how most of them lived on today and none of them had ever ~
been really repealed.

What I hope the 1960's will be remembered for are
the steps we have taken in education and health and in the
understanding of our fellowman, not just in the 50 States of
this Union, but in all the continents of the world.

It may just be a few thousand or a few million that
starts the program, The poverty program was really started
with the NYA and the CCC back in the 1930's, and it has
developed from there. The whole great conservation movement
in our water resources in this country started with something
we probably called TVA that Senator Norris did.

The health program that this man picked up when
he was a lone wolf -- when he got lonely he went to see Mr.
Hill in the Senate, but outside of the two of them there
weren't many around that could believe you could do something
about it. Yet there are people in this room today that are
living testimonials to the fruits of his research.

It gives me such a great satisfaction to attempt
in the best way I can to pay tribute to Congressman Fogarty
from the great State of Rhode Island,

END At 11:48 A.M, EST