I HAVE SENT to Congress today my proposal for a Federal Economy Act. I have asked the Congress to join me in cutting back more than $2 billion in Federal spending on 57 programs that are obsolete or of very low priority.
Now in Government everyone knows what a "sacred cow" is. It is a program that is not fair to all the people, not fair to the taxpayer, but one that is fiercely defended by some special interest group.
I believe the time has come to herd these sacred cows out of the Federal budget.
For example, do you know that this Government has a board of tea-tasters? Now at one time in the dim past there may have been good reason to single out tea for such special tests, but that reason no longer exists.
Nevertheless, a separate tea tasting board has gone right along at a cost of $125,000 a year at the taxpayers' expense because nobody up to now took the trouble to take a hard look at why it was in existence. The general attitude was, it did not cost much, it provided a few jobs, so why try to save the money.
Well, that is the wrong approach. If we are to win the battle against the rising cost of living, we have to squeeze out of the budget all nonessential Federal spending.
I am asking Congress to join me in making those hard decisions that may upset the special interests, but will serve the public interest. We can only eliminate the sacred cows if we join together above politics to cut down spending and help hold down prices. It won't be easy, but it can be done. And with the support of the taxpayers and bipartisan support in the Congress, it will be done.
Note: The President spoke at 3:53 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. His remarks were recorded for later radio and television broadcast.
Richard Nixon, Remarks About the Proposed Federal Economy Act of 1970. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240912
