US Presidency
1982

They don't know where to turn for answers, who to hold accountable, who to praise, who to blame, who to vote for or against. The main reason for this is the overpowering growth of Federal grants in aid programs during the past few decades. In 1960 the Federal Government had 132 categorical grant programs, costing $ 7 billion. When I took office, there were approximately 500, costing nearly a hundred billion dollars, 13 programs for energy, 36 for pollution control, 66 for social services, 90 for education. And here in the Congress, it takes at least 166 committees just to try to keep track of them. You know and I know that neither the President nor the Congress can properly oversee this jungle of grants in aid; indeed, the growth of these grants has led to the distortion in the vital functions of government. As one Democratic Governor put it recently: The National Government should be worrying about arms control, not potholes.