Oral history transcript, Frank M. Wozencraft, interview 10 (X), 2/26/1969, by T.H. Baker

Title:

Oral history transcript, Frank M. Wozencraft, interview 10 (X), 2/26/1969, by T.H. Baker

Number of Pages:

45

Description:

Department of Justice history and its role as legal advisor to the president through the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC); laws created in the executive branch, such as through executive order, presidential proclamations and executive agreements; presidential implementation of existing statutory or treaty authority; the OLC's duty to review all executive orders for form and legality; the executive order process and how the Bureau of the Budget is involved; deciding when it is appropriate to use an executive order versus legislation; fair housing; Wozencraft's opinion of reviewing and redrafting executive orders; OLC's work clearing proclamations for White House release; the proclamation of a period of mourning following Martin Luther King's assassination; the occasional need to make sure the president understands the situation about which he is making a decision; the president's authority in lawmaking; interagency action; the 1967 New Town in Town program at Fort Lincoln in Washington, D.C., and task forces to investigate the idea of developing unused land in or near cities; Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and General Services Administration involvement in the New Town in Town concept; interagency action involving HEW, OLC, Department of Defense, and the Surgeon General in addressing Medicare hospitalization problems; departmental regulation, such as those regarding mixed-race hospital rooms and Office of Education guidelines; efforts to further civil rights by executive order or departmental regulations rather than by legislation; the impact of government contracting power and unions; penalties for violating the National Labor Relations Act; congressional concern that the executive branch would act beyond its proper authority; comparing executive agreements, treaties, and executive orders; the influence of OLC's and the attorney general's issued opinions; the attorney's general's rules for issuing opinions; opinions involving Federal National Mortgage Association obligations and the [Hiram] Johnson Act; General Lewis Hershey's opposition to a treaty limiting the drafting of aliens from certain countries into the armed forces; OLC's work as it supported the attorney general; the Department of Transportation's authority to expand the commitment of highway trust funds; OLC opinions versus those of the attorney general; OLC's involvement in Governor Price Daniel's effort to change the name of the Office of Emergency Planning; problems with an unconstitutional amendment to the 1966 Agency for International Development (AID) bill, which would limit aid programs; OLC's efforts to appeal to the self interest of the parties involved in a disagreement and to maintain a high moral standard.

Contributor:

Wozencraft, Frank M.

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Frank M. Wozencraft

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details