In the spring of 1964, President Johnson sent a request to Congress to authorize special aid to the economically depressed Appalachian region, and on September 25, 1964, the Senate passed an Appalachia bill that closely followed the president’s request. It provided $1.1 billion to the region over a six year period, but a companion House bill failed to reach the floor prior to the adjournment of the 88th Congress. On January 6, 1965, Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV), chair of the Subcommittee on Public Roads of the Senate Committee on Public Works, introduced an administration backed Appalachia aid bill, S. 3, calling for $1.07 billion in federal economic assistance to the region.