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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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Part:         Session:         Page of 999

the continuing resolution, and the funds were voted by Congress, but he impounded them. He impounded about a billion, 400 million in HEW funds alone, of which the health funds are about a billion, 100 million, altogether. Now, a number of health groups, including Mike Garmar, in relation to the meantal health group, sued Weinberger and the administration, and they won, in the case of the Mental Health Clinics, the outpatient clinics.

Q:

In the District of Columbia courts?

Lasker:

Yes, in District of Columbia courts. The administration was ordered by the judge to pull out 53 million dollars. The suit was brought by the Nurses Association, by the American Association of Medical Colleges, and they have won these impoundment suits. And this year, Nixon signed the HEW bill and said he would release the impounded funds, although he's releasing them in such a way that you don't really get them in any one year, in and since you don't get them in any one year, they're presumably going to pay them out over this year, next year and other years to come. So it doesn't raise the level of support. What we wanted was to raise the level of support over all that's going on, you know.

Q:

This actually was part of --

Lasker:

-- it's unprecedented, for citizens'groups to sue an administration.

Q:

This is in compliance, is it, with the court's decision, that the administration is doing this?





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