On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day in 1978, the New York Times reported that the House approved by legislation, which established the official policy of the United States, that the unemployment rate should be 4%. “The bill authorizes the use of fiscal and monetary policy, public service jobs, job training and counseling and all other means to achieve full employment…The legislation was supported by a coalition of labor, civil right, liberal, religious and women’s groups and was backed by President Carter.” Amendments offered by Republicans to require a balanced budget and achieve an inflation goal of 3% were rejected, and most GOPers voted against final passage of the bill, calling it an empty promise.
The key emotional moment in the debate came when Senator Muriel Humphrey, Hubert Humphrey’s widow, came onto the House floor to a thunderous round of applause.
Of course, the Humphrey Hawkins law wasn’t enough to save President Carter, who ended up getting bounced out of office two short years later. Mr. Carter’s economic policies did him in, as stagnant growth, high inflation and high unemployment conspired to kill his reelection campaign.
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