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

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. "It is the purpose of [The Economic opportunity Act] to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts in furtherance of that policy.

Purpose

"Findings and Declaration of Purpose

Sec. 2. Although the economic well-being and prosperity of the United States have progressed to a level surpassing any achieved in world history, and although these benefits are widely shared throughout the Nation; poverty continues to be the lot of a substantial number of our people. The United States can achieve its full economic ans social potential as a nation only if every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the full extent of his capabilities and to participate in the workings of our society. It is, therefore, the policy of the United States to eliminate the paradox of poverty in 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. It is the purpose of this Act to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts in furtherance of that policy."

History

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.”

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 August 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 included eleven major programs:

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

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

3. Work Study, provides 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, provides 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, provides 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, establishes an information and coordination center to encourage voluntary assistance for deserving and needy children.

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

8. Assistance for Migrant Agricultural Employees, provides 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, provides loans and guarantees, not in excess of $25,000 to a single borrower, for the benefit of very small businesses.

10. Work Experience, provides 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 features 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 states in the southern states who would not cooperate with federal law.

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. In 1967 Congress directed the Government Accountability Office, then General Accounting Office, to review anti-poverty programs by the federal government. The conclusion was that programs such as Head Start were effective in providing for children, but the primary objective of parent participation was insufficient. Community Action Programs were behind administratively and underachieved given the amount of money designated. Overall, the GAO determined that the poverty programs were working at the time.

External Links

Johnson's Great Society Speech

Johnson's Inaugural Address

Johnson's Website

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964