Ernest Graves
Then on Thursday, the 17th of February, 1977, we were all summoned to the White
House. We went to the cabinet room in the White House. President Carter was there.
Bert Lance, the Director of OMB [Office of Management and Budget]; the Secretary
of Defense; the Secretary of the Interior; Jack Morris and I were there. Jack was the
Chief of Engineers. I was the Director of Civil Works. Clifford Alexander, the Secretary
of the Army, was there.
We went around the table. Every single person at that table recommended against
announcing this hit list. All for different reasons. I was more than halfway around the
table. Morris was sitting right opposite Carter. I was to the left of Morris. When it got
to me, I said that I felt that everybody else had pretty well covered it except that the
President needed to understand the provisions of the Budget Impoundment and Control
Act. If he stopped these projects, it would be a de facto impoundment of funds, and
he'd be in violation of the law on that. The Corps could not stop spending the money.
Lieutenant General Jack Morris, Secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander, Major General Graves,
and President Jimmy Carter in the White House during the water project review.
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