Remarks Upon Presenting the Heart-of-the-Year Award to Representative John E. Fogarty

Congressman Fogarty and Dr. Taussig, ladies and gentlemen:

When we read that a fully functioning artificial heart is possible within 5 years, we pay tribute to congressional leadership, and particularly to Congressman John Fogarty of Rhode Island.

And 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 Extension Act--community mental health centers one week, Community Health Services 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 he 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 suggested 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 the 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.

I know that as we work on these messages and outline our hopes and our purposes and 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 something 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 educate 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 leadership and ideas and try to move along.

I was reading a speech late last night that the Postmaster General under President Roosevelt had 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 really been repealed.

What I hope the sixties will be remembered for are the steps that we have taken in education and in health and in understanding of our fellow man, 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 start the program. The poverty program was really started with the NYA and the CCC back in the thirties, and it has developed from there. The whole great conservation movement in water resources in this country started with something we proudly call the TVA that Senator Norris did.

The health program that this man picked up when he was a ]one wolf--when he got lonely he'd go over and see Lister Hill in the Senate, but outside of the two of them there weren't many around that really believed that 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 great satisfaction to attempt in the best way I can to pay tribute to Congressman Fogarty from the great State of Rhode Island.

Thank you.