SPEECHES, STATEMENTS AND TESTIMONY, 1975-1980

Summary: Documentation of the Congressman' s spoken remarks before a wide variety of audiences and on a range of issues that closely parallels those reflected in PRESS RELEASES, SPONSORED AND COSPONSORED BILLS, ROBO LETTERS and SUBJECT FILES. Topics include health and environment concerns such as asbestos, fine particulates and other carcinogens as well as on health policy in relation to children and the elderly. Also included are the Congressman's views on foreign affairs (South Africa, Soviet Jewry, the Mideast) and on local affairs such as New Jersey television, plus various ceremonial speeches delivered before medical colleges or a mental health center. Included in the records are speeches, draft speeches, background materials (mainly in Robert Kerr's files), Congressional Record statements and extensions. of remarks (usually related to legislation; see SPONSORED AND COSPONSORED BILLS) and testimony before various committees regarding asbestos, private religious schools and other matters.

Prominent in these documents are speeches on cancer and carcinogens which perhaps display the undivided concern of one Congressman whom the Village Voice newspaper, among other individuals, said "couldn't be bought" (by industry, business, etc.).

Annotations appear sparsely in the chronologically- and subject-arranged speeches and appear to be in the Congressman's own handwriting, whereas Bob Kerr's files are heavily annotated and only in Mr. Kerr's handwriting. Both Mr. Kerr's speech files and the subject-related speeches remain in their original orders.

Additional speeches may be found throughout the CAMPAIGN FILES, in SOUTHERN AFRICA: SENATE/HOUSE AD HOC MONITORING GROUP, and in the rearranged materials following SUBJECT FILES.