1935 House Hearings on the President's Economic Security Bill

1935 HOUSE HEARINGS ON THE PRESIDENT'S ECONOMIC SECURITY BILL

Shortly after the 74th Congress convened in January 1935, President Roosevelt sent his "Economic Security Bill" to Capitol Hill. The Administration proposal was transmitted to the Congress on January 17, 1935 and it was introduced that same day in the Senate by Senator Robert Wagner (D-NY) and in the House by Congressman Robert Doughton (D-NC) and David Lewis (D-MD). The bill was referred to Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee.

Hearings on the bill were held throughout January and February. The House Ways & Means Committee held hearings on the bill from January 21, 1935 through February 12, 1935. The Senate Finance Committee held hearings from January 22, 1935 through February 20, 1935.

The report on the House hearings was published by the Ways & Means Committee in 1935 under the title "Economic Security Act: Hearings Before the Committee on Ways and Means House of Representatives, Seventy-Fourth Congress First Session, on H.R. 4120 A Bill to Alleviate the hazards of Old Age, Unemployments, Illness, and Dependency, to Establish a Social Insurance Board in the Department of Labor, To Raise Revenue, and for Other Purposes." The published document ran to 1141 pages (reproduced in its entirety here).

Note: This document is in Adobe PDF format.

Cover of Report

Table of Contents

Introduction & Opening Statement by Edwin E. Witte

Message From the President & Letter of Submittal

Report of the Committee on Economic Security & Professor Edwin Witte's Testimony - PART 1

Report of the Committee on Economic Security & Professor Edwin Witte's Testimony - PART 2

Supplement to the Report of the CES

Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 1

Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 2
Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 3

Supplement Continued & Resumption of Professor Witte's Testimony - PART 4

Perkins, Hon. Frances, Secretary of Labor- Part 1

Perkins, Hon. Frances, Secretary of Labor- Part 2

STATEMENTS OF OTHER WITNESSES:

Abbott, Miss Grace, member Advisory Council on Economic Security

Abercrombie, Dr. T. F., representing the State and Territorial Health Officers Conference of North America

Adair, Dr. Fred L., representing the Advisory Committee on Child Welfare

Amter, I., New York City

Anderson, H. B., representing the Citizens Medical Reference Bureau

Baldwin, Mrs. Harris T., representing the National League of Women Voters

Benjamin, Herbert, representing the National Council for Unemployment and Social Insurance

Bennett, Dr. George E., representing the Maryland League for Crippled Children

Bierring, Dr. Walter, representing the American Medical Association

Brown., J. Douglas, director industrial relations, Princeton University

Brown, M. L., representing the Old Age Pension Bureau of Ohio

Burnham, Hon. George, a Representative in Congress from the State of California

Christman, Miss Elizabeth, representing the National Women's Trade Union League

Collins, Hon. Sam L., a Representative in Congress from the State of California

Colmer, Hon. Wm. M., a Representative in Congress from the State of Mississippi &
Baldwin, Louise G., National League of Women Voters
Burns, Dr. Eveline M., Columbia University
Cass, C. D., representing the American Transit Association, letter
Crumbine, S. J., representing the American Child Health Association, letter
Douglas, Dr. Paul H., University of Chicago
Howett, Harry H., Lansing, Mich.
Miller, James Ragland, Hartford, Conn., letter


Cumming, Hon. Hugh S., Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service - PART 1

Cumming, Hon. Hugh S., Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service - PART 2

Czerwonky, Hugo E., Washington, D. C.

Davis, Miss Susan Lawrence, Washington, D. C.

Doane, Dr. Robert R., director of research, American Business Surveys & Additional Testimony by Dr. Townsend - PART 1

Doane, Dr. Robert R., director of research, American Business Surveys & Additional Testimony by Dr. Townsend - PART 2 &
Gourley, Lawrence L., representing the American Osteopathic Association,brief
McClellan, Hon. John L., a Representative in Congress from the State of Arkansas
McCollum, E. V., Johns Hopkins University, letter
McCulloch, Frank W., representing the Chicago Workers' Committee on Unemployment


Ellenbogen, Hon. Henry, a Representative in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania

Emery, James A., representing the National Association of Manufacturers

Epstein, Abraham, executive secretary American Association for Social Security

Evans, George D., representing the Organization for the Abolition of Poverty

Folks, Homer, secretary State Charities Aid Association, New York

Folsom, M. B., representing the advisory committee on economic security, of Rochester, N. Y.

Ford, Clarence E., acting commissioner of social welfare, New York State

Forster, H. Walter, vice president of the pension casualty division,Towers, Perrin, Forster & Crosby, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

Freeman, Dr. Allen W., representing the school of hygiene and public health, Johns Hopkins University

Green, William, president American Federation of Labor

Griffin, Rt. Rev. Monsignor Maurice F., representing the Catholic Hospital Association

Grulee, Dr. Clifford G., representing the Advisory Committee on Child Welfare

Hall, 0. J., Jr., representing the local action committee for workers, American Federation of Labor

Halsell, H. H., Lubbock, Tex. & Statement by Armstrong, C. M., Schenectady, N. Y.

Harbison, A. L., Tulsa, Okla.

Hathway, C. A., representing the Communist Party in the United States

Hansen, Alvin, Chief Economic Analyst, Department of State

Hastings, Hon. Daniel O., a United States Senator from the State of Delaware

Haynes, George E., representing the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America &
Lewis, Hon. David J.., a Representative in Congress from the State of Maryland--Canadian Annuity Act


Hopkins, Harry L., Federal Relief Administrator

Houston, Charles H., representing the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 1

Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 2

Hudson, Glen J., Oakland, Calif. & Continuation of Remarks by Frances Townsend - PART 3

Huggins, George A., representing the Church Pensions Conference

Hutzler, Albert D., representing the National Retail Dry Goods Association

Jolly, Robert, representing the American Hospital Association

Kepecs, Jacob, representing the Child Welfare League of America

Kerr, J. P., representing the Association of Drainage and Levee Districts of Illinois

Kittle, Mrs. William, representing the National Consumers League

Knoppel, R. J., vice president, International Society for Crippled Children

Lamb, Mrs. Beatrice Pitney, representing the National League of Women Voters &
Donnelly, James L., representing the Illinois Manufacturers Association


Langworthy, Mrs. B. F., representing the National Conference of Parents and Teachers

Lasser, David, representing the Workers' Unemployed Union

Latimer, Murray, chairman Railroad Retirement Board

Lee, John J., representing Department of Public Instruction, Lansing, Mich.

Leiserson, William M:, chairman National Mediation Board

Lenroot, Miss Katherine, chief Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor - PART 1

Lenroot, Miss Katherine, chief Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor - PART 2

Little, Dr. R. M., representing the State Educational Department, New York &
Clark, R. R., supervisor of rehabilitation, State of Illinois, telegram
Reed, Charles B., representing the Illinois State Medical Society & Hicker, H. D., chief of the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation of California, telegram


Lyon, Dr. George M., Huntington, W. Va.

Marsh, Benjamin C., representing the Peoples Lobby

Mason, E. W., representing the Progressive Study Club

Mayer, C. C., representing the End Poverty in Civilization Society

McGervey, William P.

McGuire, Miss Louise, representing the National Association of Classroom Teachers

Moore, O. Otto, Denver, Colo.

Moulton, Dr. Harold G., representing the Brookings Institute

Mott, Hon. James W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon

Morgenthau, Hon. Henry, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury & Altmeyer, A., J., Second Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor - PART 1

Murphy, J. Prentice, representing the Children's Bureau of Philadelphia

Nordlin, George, representing the Advisory Council on Economic Security

Parran, Dr. Thomas, State health commissioner of New York

Patman, Hon. Wright, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas

Peterson, Miss Olivia, representing the Minnesota Department of Health

Pettengill, Hon. Samuel B., a Representative in Congress from the State of Indiana & Breckinridge, Miss S. P., letter

Reeder, Sherwood L., representing the United States Conference of Mayors

Reyburn, Samuel W., representing the National Retail Dry Goods Association

Roche, Miss Josephine, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury

Smith, Hon. Howard W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia

Smith, Dr. Lillian R., representing the Michigan Department of Health

Studebaker, John W., Commissioner of Education, Department of the Interior &
Woodruff, Hon. Roy O., a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan, brief


Sweeney, Joseph, president Child Welfare Board of Cuyahoga County,Ohio

Townsend, Dr. F. E., Long Beach, Calif. (see also Hudson, Glen)

Tunstall, Mrs. Alfred Moore, director Alabama State Welfare Department

Van Kleeck, Miss Mary, representing the Russell Sage Foundation

Walker, Dr. Alfred, chairman board of health, Jefferson County Medical Society

Waller, C. E., Assistant Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service

Weinstock, Louis, representing the national committee on unemployment insurance, American Federation of Labor

Whitehead, Ralph, representing the American Federation of Actors

Williamson, W. R., representing the Travelers Insurance Co. &
Kelley, C. G., Cleveland, Ohio, letter

Wilson, Bert, representing the Church of the Disciples of Christ