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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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Part:         Session:         Page of 999

Suspension of the rules. And the bill passed 292 to 32.

Q:

Suspension of the rules requires unanimous consent, doesn't it?

Lasker:

To bring it up, yes. But Flood who was the chairman of the subcommittee on appropriations in the House, voted against the bill, and so did John Rooney, both friends of mine, supposed to be, because I suppose they're Catholics and they're afraid of the situation in their districts. I don't know how much money they will finally put in the bill. I'm hoping that Byrd who put some money in the supplemental appropriations -- it just came up in the Senate after the bill was passed -- I'm hoping that he's going to come out of conference with some money. Idon't know that yet. But it's a landmark bill. EvenNixon's referred to it as a landmark bill. It's the first time any legislation's been on the book to do anything about the poor sector of the population in the United States, about helping them plan their families. This is crazy, but it took until 1970 to do this.

Q:

Was there any concerted opposition on the part of --?

Lasker:

Oh, there'd been tremendous opposition from the church, subtle opposition of all kinds, and it was considered, until seciath Gruening held his hearings about four or five years ago that it was totally impossible to mention the subject of family planning in the Congress; it was so unpopular with so many people that they would prevent its being discussed.





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