Evening star., 1944-02-23
barkIey Excoriates
Roosevelt Tax Veto.
Tenders Resignation
Continued From First Page. }

he was named to succeed the late
Joseph Robinson of Arkansas.
Stern and purposeful. Senator
Barkley began his speech.
4 "On yesterday" he said, "the
President of the United States sent
to the House of Representatives and
indirectly to the Senate a message
vetoing the tax bill recommended by
both houses of Congress after six
or eight months of consideration.
Il should have preferred to discuss
this veto message on a proposal to
pass it over the presidential veto.
But, not knowing what action the
House will take, it seems best to dis
cuss it now"
Senator Barkley said the Presi-
dent, in his veto message, made an
obvious reference to Wendell L.
Willkie when he said persons in our
national life have advocated a
sitter tax program than that of
the President.
Calls Willkie Celestial Nomad."
The Kentuckian termed Mr.. Will
kie the up-to-date Haley's comet
darting across the Heavens hither
and yon in an array of figures that
normal people cannot understand"
Il cannot imagine whether this
celestial nomad has frightened the
President into using a figure quite
as fantastic, although not as large"
Barkley said.
In order to "belittle the amount
of revenue" anticipated from the
tax bill, Senator Barkley continued,
"the President has resorted to one
of the most unjustifiable methods
of calculation possible to conjure
up"
The majority leader said the
Treasury itself had estimated the
vetoed bill would yield $2,194, 900, 900
In added revenue, while the staff of
the Joint Senate and House Com
mittee on Revenue had put the
figure at $2,315 100000.
Senator Barkley pointed out that
he had personally opposed "freez-
ing" social security payroll taxes at
their present level of / per cent
each on employer and employe
rather than allow them to double
this year, but that the freeze was
voted Overwhelmingly.
Security Tax Sacred Fund"
However, he said, he always had
taken the position that these taxes
were "a sacred fund" for the sole |
purpose of providing social security
benefits.
Il did not contend then, and I
would not now or at any other time |
vote to include the tax merely for |
the purpose of letting the Treasury
use it as revenue to carry on the
ordinary expenses Of government"
he declared.
His voice rising across the quiet |
and attentive Senate, the majority
leader denied Mr.. Roosevelt's asser-
ton that Congress is to blame for
complicated tax laws.
mo man could have made that
statement who has sat in the tax
committees of the United States
Senate" Senator Barkley shouted.
If it were made by any one who
ever sat on those committees, it |
would be deliberate misstatement
in order to place on Congress the
blame for universal dissatisfaction"
over complex tax laws.
Doughton Issues Statement.
Congress is to blame for the COM
plexlties to the eXtent-and only to |
the extent-to which it has accepted
the advice of the Treasury Departs
ment and its so-called tax experts
who have sat in on every tax meas
ure I can remember"
Every time Congress has attempt
ed to simplify the tax laws or tax
reporting form, he continued, the
Treasury experts have brought back
Language so complicated that
neither Solomon nor all the wise
men of the East could understand
or interpret it,"
Earlier today, Chairman Dougl1ton
OF the House Ways and Means Com
mittee also stormed back at Mr.
RooSevelt's veto of the tax bill de-
claring it raises a question of who
Is to write the tax laws, the Presi-
dents irresponsible theorists in the
Treasury" or the peoples elected
Representatives.
Charging Mr.. Roosevelt ignored
the constitutional responsibility of
Congress in such matters, Mr..
Doughton, former proponent of Mr..
Roosevelt's tax policies, declared
the Presidents advisers seem to
have lost patience with constitu-
tional government by law" and
favor government by executive de-
cree"
Mr.. Doughton was joined in his
blistering statement by Representa-
tive Knutson of Minnesota, ranking
minority member of the Ways and
Means COnmittao