Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

Long title	An act to mobilize the human and financial resources of the Nation to combat poverty in the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That this Act may be cited as the "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964."
Enacted by	the 88th United States Congress
Effective	August 20, 1964
Citations
Public law	88-452
Statutes at Large	78 Stat. 508
Legislative history
Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on
United States Supreme Court cases
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Public Law 88-452, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 authorized the formation of local Community Action Agencies as part of the War on Poverty. These agencies were directly regulated by the Federal Government. The act was called for by President Lyndon B. Johnson in his Special Message to Congress on March 16, 1964, in which he presented a proposal for a nationwide war on the sources of poverty. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was passed as a part of LBJ’s War on Poverty. Encompassing John F. Kennedy’s purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was created “to eliminate the paradox of poverty on the midst of plenty in this nation by opening…To everyone…the opportunity for education and training, the opportunity to work, and the opportunity to live in decency and dignity.”

In his special message, President Johnson declared “The Act does not merely expand on old programs or improve what was already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes of poverty…Not just the consequences of poverty. It can be a milestone in our 180-year search for a better life for your people.”

Purpose

Even though the economic well being and prosperity of the U.S. population surpassed any achieved in world history, poverty was a problem among a number of people. In order to achieve the national economic and social potential as a nation, every individual was extended the advantage to contribute to the full extent his capabilities and to participate in the workings of society. The United States adopted a mission to opening the opportunity of education, training, work, and decent living conditions that promoted dignity and social humanity. It is the purpose of this Act to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts in furtherance of that policy.

Legislation

In January of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave R. Sargent Shriver the task of developing a bill to wage the "war against poverty" in the United States. The bill was presented to Congress in March of 1964. It was introduced by Representative Phil M. Landrum, a democrat from Georgia, in the House. The Bill was introduced to the Senate by Senator Pat McNamara, a democrat from Michigan. The Bill was favored by subcommittees of the House of Education and Labor Committee and the Senate Labor and Public Welfare Committee. The Bill was debated for two days and then passed by the Senate with limited amendments. The vote was sixty-four to thirty-four. Republicans voted ten of thirty-two for the bill; democrats voted eleven to eleven. The Economic Opportunity Act was then sent to the House where it was debated for four days. With few amendments, the bill was passed by a vote of 226 to 185 in the House. The Senate adopted the "House-passed" bill that same day and tweleve days later on Augus t 20, 1964 the bill was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Economic Opportunity Act was announced by the preseident in his first State of the Union Address as the launch against the "war on poverty."

Major Features

The act passed eleven major programs:

1. The Job Corps, provided work, basic education, and training in separate residential centers for young men and young women, ages sixteen to twenty-one

2. Neighborhood Youth Corps, provided work and training for young men and women, ages sixteen to twenty-one, from impoverished families and neighborhoods

3. Work Study, provided grants to colleges and universities for part-time employment of students from low-income families who need to earn money to pursue their education

4. Urban and Rural Community Action, provided financial and technical assistance to public and private nonprofit agencies for community action programs developed with "maximum feasible participation" of the poor and giving "promise of progress toward elimination of poverty"

5. Adult Basic Education, provided grants to state educational agencies for programs of instruction for persons eighteen years and older whose inability to read and write English is an impediment to employment.

6. Voluntary Assistance for Needy Children, established an information and coordination center to encourage voluntary assistance for deserving and needy children.

7. Loans to Rural Families, provided loans not exceeding $2,500 that will assist low income rural families in permanently increasing their income.

8. Assistance for Migrant Agricultural Employees, provided assistance to state and local governments, public and private nonprofit agencies or individuals in operating programs to assist migratory workers and their families with basic needs.

9. Employment and Investment Incentives, provided loans and guarantees, not in excess of $25,000 to a single borrower, for the benefit of very small businesses.

10. Work Experience, provided payments for experimental, pilot, and demonstration projects to expand opportunities for work experience and needed training of persons who are unable to support or care for themselves or their families, including persons receiving public assistance.

11. Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) recruits, selects, trains, and refers volunteers to state or local agencies or private nonprofit organizations to perform duties in combating poverty.

The legislation also authorized the Economic Opportunity Council, which led to the launch of smaller independent groups that worked with communities to establish better economic climates. One of the main proponents of the act was that the federal government would bypass states to send money to local governments. Although many criticisms evolved from this, this was one of the ways the federal government was able to bypass racists states in the southern states who would not cooperate with federal law. Political scientist James Sundquist noted that in order for too much power to be given to southern governors during this time period, the bill had to bypass them and be given to local governments.

Evaluation

The act was part of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, which sought to eliminate poverty which Preident Johnson saw as: "..it's wastage of resources and human lives..." The aim was to bring Americans closer, away from "the outskirts of hope." By 1966 the program was under scrutiny from Republicans. They pointed out the waste and inefficiency in local programs and Nixon pledged to "take the profit out of poverty." LBJ was proud of the progress he had made with the passage of his bill, including 9.1 million acres of forestry that was set for destruction, the creation of Medicare, and funding injected into state schools. Funding that was for his poverty legislation were diverted to The Vietnam War.