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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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At any rate, Magnusson was fussing about this, and so the HEW bill again has not been passed. It may be vetoed, because they've gone 390 million over what Nixon asked. Out of a total of 19 billion, you wouldn't think this would make any difference, but Nixon can either veto it or withhold the money, and he probably will eventually do both. He's been withholding the money from the Institutes.

Q:

You mean, accept the authorization and --

Lasker:

-- yes, he can accept the authorization and withhold the money. But I don't know what he's going to do.

At any rate, we did find that we had friends in the House, not on the committee, that were willing to continue. They say this next year they will fight again to get more money for medical research.

Q:

In this instance, I take it that in conference committee you and the friends of medical research really lost out.

Lasker:

Oh, we always lose in the conference. Almost invariably the House and the Senate divide their differences evenly. Sometimes you can persuade them to do a little better. I hope that because heart disease is the main cause of death, they would really keep the money in.

Q:

As a digression, I've read recently comments on the conference committee as it's now constituted, and it seems to be an impediment to





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