Evening star., 1947-07-03
The Political Mill
Historic Trumun-C Congress
Bottle on Tax Bill Seen

Battle on ] ak Bill Seen
G. o. P. Moves to Block President
In 'Ball.Carryins' on Measure
By Gould Lincoln
The struggle between the Republican Con-
gress and Democratic President truman for
the credit of bringing about tax reduction in
1s4S-a tax reduction still to be made-has
already shaped up and promises to be historic
Having taken the aggressive position for tax
reduction Immediately after tho elections Of
1916, the Republicans do not intend to let
the President grab the ball and run with It,
They plan to make the President take
Republican tax bill-and from the present
outlook they will be successful, notwithstand-
ing the Presidents recent veto Of the Knutson-
Millikin bill, sustained in the House.
After that setback for the Republican tax
reduction program, 1t looked as though the
President had engineered himself into posi-
ton where he could, at the opening OF the
next session OF Congress IN January, have
taken the lead in tax-cut planning. Repub-
lcans were quoted as saying there would be
no further effort at tax reduction In Congress
before January, among them Chairman Knu
son Of the House Ways and Means COMMITTEE.
They took another look at the matter, however,
ana decided that Mr.. Knutson should reintro-
duce the vetoed tax bill without delay. whether
1t was to be taken up before adjournment OF
the present session or not. 1t was clever
move, for it kept the Republican Congress still
in the aggressive position. The only change in
the reintroduced bill was that the tax reduc
tions became effective January /, 1948, instead
of July J., 1S47
Second Veto Uncertain.
No one knows for sure whether the President
would veto this amended bill If 1t were sent to
him-either during the present session or next
winter. And no one knows for sure whether
the Congress could pass it over his veto. The
amended bill answers one Of the Presidents
criticisms of the vetoed bill-that the effective
date Of tax reduction proposed in the vetoed
bill was too early. Further, there would be
no tax reduction during the first half Of the
fiscal year 1948 which began July !, 1947.
Republican leaders Of the House and Senate
are adamant on one thing-they are not going
to let the President write the tax laws Of the
country through the strong arm method OF
the veto. The Constitution places the duty
Of raising revenue and making appropriations
primarily in the hands of Congress. The Re
publicans, having formulated their tax plans.
of the Chief Executive. If they stick to this
thesis, and they will they say, Mr.. Truman
in the final showdown will have to take Re
publican tax law or deny to the people any
tax reduction not only in 1947-which he has
already done-but in 1913, through the use
Of his veto power. Nor Is there any definite
assurance that enough of the Democrats in
Congress would 60 along with the President,
another time. to make the veto stick. After
ALL these Democratic members of Congress have
to stand for reelection next year.
Will Press Truman Plan"
All this does not mean that the President
and his supporters will abandon the idea of
having the tax bill framed along lines they
approve rather than along the Republican
lines. They will do everything in their power
to force Congress to take Truman tax re-
duction plan" The guess of Democrats on
Capitol Hill is that the President, in his rec
concentrations for tax reduction-when they
are made-will adopt pretty much the Lucas
substitute for the Republican bill which was
offered in the Senate when the vetoed bill was
before that body. Instead of the 101a, 20 and
80 per cent reductions in the income tax sched-
ules of the Republican bill, the substitute
offered by the Senator from Illinois called for
an increase from $500 to $500 in the personal
exemption OF single persons, ana from $1,OUO
to 81 200 for married persons, provided for di-
viding the family income for tax purposes be-
tween husband and wife, and provided for a
2 per cent reduction in each surtax bracket.
Senator Lucas and Senator Mcclellan Of Ar
kansas, Democrat, who offered similar amend
ments, claim that their plan would much more
nearly meet the requirement that the tax bur-
den should fall on those best able to pay.
The President has won part of his fight on
tax reduction-the postponement of the effec-
tive day. If he imposes upon the Republican
Congress the character of tax reduction legis-
lation, however, he will be quite wizard. The
Republicans, naturally, are anxious for tax re-
duction, which they promised the voters. But
they believe they can place the onus on Mr..
Truman-if tax reduction fails between now
and election day.
Both the President and Congress know the
people want tax relief They want 1t all the
more because many of the States and munich
palities are increasing their taxes-as in Mary
land, Massachusetts, and score Of other
States. So unless the Federal taxes come down,
the people will be more burdened than during
the war.
Questions and Answers
A reader can obtain the answer to any question
straet N r. shington p ID C.