Nov. 5, 1964 - Senator‐elect Robert F. Kennedy and his vanquished opponent. Senator Kenneth Keating joined forces today on behalf of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Meeting for the first time since the election, they obtained from Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara “assurances” that there would be no layoffs at the yard before a study of all Government‐operated yards was finished.
Later, Kennedy went to Capitol Hill where he and three other Democratic Senators-elect met with Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (center).
Mansfield smoked his pipe as he listened to the four tell him what committee assignments they would like. The others who will sit in the Senate for the first time when the new Congress meets in January were: Joseph Montoya of New Mexico, Fred Harris of Oklahoma, and Ross Bass of Tennessee.
Kennedy told reporters before the election that he would like to serve on the Judiciary or the Labor and Welfare Committees. He indicated also that he would not turn down an assignment to the Foreign Relations Committee.
“We discussed assignments,” said Mansfield with a gentle smile, “but assignments are something for the steering committee to decide. We will do our very best to see that each gets at least one major committee assignment — we hope an assignment of their choice.”
He let the four talk on the telephone with President Johnson down in Texas.
“They talked so long I worried about the phone bill,” Mansfield said.
Then the new freshman Senator from New York went down the hall to “pay my respects” to the Senate minority leader, Everett Dirksen of Illinois.
Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s
Comentarios