The Washington herald., 1920-11-21

Members of the present Congress
have been asked in a letter from the
Institute for Public Service, signed
by Julius H. Barnes, chairman, to save
one, perhaps two or even. three years
for the national budget reform which both
parties have pledged, by passing budget
bill in December instead of waiting for
the new Congress to convene. The facts
about the Presidents veto of the budget
bill passed last spring, its repassage in
corrected form by the House and the
flibusters which prevented repassage in
the Senate were summarized as follows:
Both houses of the present Congress.
without party division, have already
passed budget bill, the House in Octo-
Der, 1919 and the Senate in April, 1920
The President has at different times urged
budget bill There is therefore no diff
ference OF opinion as to the need for i'm
mediate action.
President Wilson vetoed the budget
bill june last he said regretfuIly, be-
cause it violated Article ii, Section 2 OF the
Federal Constitution which says that the
President shall have power with the ad-
vice and consent Of the Senate to appoint
all other officers of the United States
whose appointments are not herewith
+, otherwise provided for and which shall be
constituted by law There was no objec-
ton to the way in which this officer
who is to make outside independent, hnan-
| cial and operative audts of government
transactions was TO be appointed, namely.
| by the President with the advice and
consents of the Senate. The Presidents
| objection was that the bill prevented the
removal of the officer by the President
at will which goes with the power to
appoint. As the President said. the bill
prevented removal except either by i'm
peachment or concurrent resolution of
I Congress-
| Congress yielded to the Presidents
contention because it was anxious to get
budget bill passed last spring Attempt
to pass the bill over the Presidents veto
failed in the House. Some members in
sisted that the vetoed bill was not uncon-
stitutional Others insisted that it was un-
constitutional. They stopped debating il
because they wanted immediate action and
believed that necessary changes can easily
be made as the plan is tried The House
passed the corrected bill the very next day
after IT was returned, June 5. The Senate
majority wapted to pass it >as corrected
but three minority Senators filibustered or
talked it out of its chance. The public
was so engrossed in convention talk that
these budget outcomes escaped general
| attention.
The correction made to meet the
Presidents objection leaves the appoint
| ucht Vi inc COmptfOller general with me
President upon the advice and consent
of the Senate. The term. instead of being
FIVE years Is during good behavior Re-
moval is left with the President by cutting
out the original requirement that the
comptroller might be removed by Con.
gress if inefficient, guilty of neglect Of
duty, malfeasance in office or involving
] moral turpitude. and in no other way
except by impeachment Thus, budget
bill agreeable to both houses of Congress.
and the President is ready for immediate
passage by the reconvening of Congress.
| next month. Its chief provisions are a.
follows:
"The Federal budget architect is to b,
the Secretary of the Treasury, who j.
made responsible for reviewing, revising
and consolidating, reducing or otherwise
changing any item in any department.
estimates. He could work through Z
budget bureau in the Treasury, at tn,
head of which would be a budget com
missioner with two assistant commission
ers and staff at cost at first of no
more than $2oo,ooo per annum. This bulge
bureau must study all the year round tn,
needs Of the various departments.
After the Secretary of the Treasur,