Evening star., 1947-06-23
Vefoes in Week Stir
Capitol Talk Of Easing
Margin 10 Override
kx the Assoeiated Press

stirred talk at the Capitol today
of a constitutional amendment
making it easier for Congress to
override White House objections
to legislative acts.
Voicing publicly the privately ex-
pressed sentiments of many OF his
colleagues, Representative Arends
of Illinois, House majority whip,
said he is considering proposal
calling for only majority vote OF
the elected members of each branch
of Congress.
The Constitution now requires
two-thirds vote in the Senate ana
the House before legislation can be-
come law over veto.
The House failed by two votes to
override President Truman's veto
of the Republican tax reduction bill
last Tuesday: But it ran up a vote
of nearly four to one in favor OF
passing the Taft Hartley labor Dill
over Mr.. Truman's objections.
Saws Sentiment Is Strong.
Mr.. Arends said he has sounded
out other members and found
strong sentiment in favor OF a
change.
The Constitution, Mr. Arends con-
tended, contemplated infrequent
use of the veto land certainly not
its use for political purposes as was
the obvious case on the tax and
labor bills"
Mr.. Arends said he believes ma
jority of the elected Senators and
Representatives should be allowed
to override. That would mean 2l8
votes In the House and 49 in the
Senate. At present, assuming all
members are on hand and voting,
it takes 65 Senate and 200 House
votes to enact law over Veto
IF that many of the peoples
representative want law, then
they should have it" Mr.. Arends
said. After all, the members of
Congress are in closer touch with
the people than is the President. )"
Another Veto Is Possible.
The Eightieth Congress already
has submitted to the States one con-
stitut1onal amendment. toslimit the
tenure of the presidency to two full
terms.
Tnirty-six of the 48 States must
approve before any amendment can
become part of the Constitution.
Two bills are on Mr.. Truman's
desk right now which-except for
the time element involved-might
result in vetoes. And a presiden-
tial rebuff has not been ruled COM
pletely out for one of them.
1t is the controversial wool meas
ure, extending the Governments
price support program for another
wear while also authorizing the
President to boost tariffs or impose
import quotas if he finds that for
eign sales are threatening to push
down domestic prices.
Critics See Threat to Trade.
Critics of the measure say the
tariff quota provision threatens the
administration efforts to stim-
ulate greater world trade, but sup
porters contend this is not true
since the decision would be left up
to Mr.. Truman. %
The price support program will end
June 80 unless the measure becomes
law
The White House today said the
President will act shortly" on the
wool bill and probably will send
Congress message about it
whether he signs or vetoes it.
Presidential Press Secretary Charles
G. Ross said there will be no action
on it today.
1t is the same date-just one week
hence-that has led neary all critics
of the second pending bill to pre-
dict that Mr.. Truman will sign it.
That measure extends rent con-
trolls through next February. But it
has been loudly criticized in and
out of Congress because it ca per-
mits Is per cent ceiling increases
when landlords and tenants agree
to lease running into 1949 and (B)
removes all Federal building controls
except those over amuSement-type
structures.
Few Other Controversial Issues.
Once the labor. wool and rent
bills have been disposed of, however,
Congress has little left on its CAL
endar that could lead to another
break between the White House and
the Capitol.
The Senate schedule calls for pas
sage this week of bills to unity the
armed services under a single cab
met officer and to designate the
Speaker of the House. rather than
the Secretary of State, in line for
the Presidency whenever the Vice
Presidency is vacant.
Mr.. Truman has urged enactment
of both these measures. House &C
ton may come before Congress
quits for the summer July 26.
The House warned by its leaders
that long daily sessions are in store
for it to meet the adjournment
goal, turned back today to its pro-
tracted discussion of a bill author
izing the State Department to con-
tinue its foreign broadcast program
after next Monday midnight, The
chamber then planned to take up
a measure authorizing United States
participation in the International
Refugee OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ad-
ministration request.
RFC Bill Due Tomorrow.
House leaders have set aside to-
morrow for legislation extending the
life of the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. for two more years. Other
wise, the RFC must go out of busl-
ness on June 80,
The latter part of the House week
is reserved for bills setting up a
permanent promotion system for
the Army and the Navy, extending
some of the Maritime Commission
wartime shipping authority and ap-
propriating funds for operation OF
Congress and the Army Engineer
Corps for the fiscal year starting
July l.
Two other appropriation measures
financing the District of Columbii