Evening star., 1947-01-19
ourCommittees
To Start Budget
Cuts Tomorrow
Army and Navy
To be Called on
To Show Savings
By J. A. O'Leory

With Republicans determined
to cut President Truman's $751;
528, ,0O0,O0 budget wherever pos
sible, four major committees Of
Congress will meet tomorrow
morning to inaugurate the new
system of fixing in advance an
overall ceiling on next years ap-
preparations.
The figure they arrive at may
determine how close the Republicans
can come to carrying out their
promised 20 per cent cut in personal
income taxes.
In the past there has been no re-
quirement for any coordination Of
the spending and revenue-raising
functions of Congress. In the new
Congressional Reorganization Act.
however, these committees are given
a mandate to sit down together at
the beginning of each session and
estimate the overall receipts and
expenditures of the Government for
the year.
Military Spending Faces Cut.
Acting under this mandate, the
House Ways and Means and Senate
Finance Committees will join with
the Appropriation Committees of
both houses to forecast the Govern
ment's income and outgo.
Republicans also disclosed yester-
day they will call on the Army and
Navy for showing of money saw
ings in the plan for unification OF
the armed forces.
Brushing aside arguments by some
Republicans and Democrats that the
$11 ,587 100000 outlay for national
defense in fiscal 1948 should not be
touched, Chairman Taber of the
House Appropriations Committee
declared to reporters:
There is going to be thorough
overhauling of Army and Navy
spending estimates. We are going to
ask what for and why on each item.
There Is no question but spend
ing should be trimmed under the
merger plan, unless it's just another
New Deal reorganization just super
imposing an extra overhead. They
are going to show lis where we can
save. If they don't we will show
them"
Three Billion Saving Sought.
A number of influential Repub-
Elicans have been shooting at saw
ing of between $4,000 900 900 and $4,-
000, ,000, 900 in the administrations
estimate of appropriations for the
coming year.
! Mr.. Taber, whose committee orig
mates all supply bills, said yesterday
that in addition to the reductions
that may be made in the current
Budget, he hopes to call back in a
RECESSION bill a substantial amount
of unexpended appropriations from
the last and previous Congresses.
None of these important decisions
are expected to be reached at the
first meeting tomorrow. Mr.. Taber
has called on the Budget Bureau for
additional tables of information,
which he does not expect to get be-
fore Tuesday.
Instead of having the full mem
bership of the four committees un-
/ dertake the Budget balancing task,
it probably will be decided tomorrow
to designate a subcommittee of five
from each committee to handle the
details.
After they study the Presidents
budget and the Treasury's estimate
of receipts, this group must rec
ommend to the House and Senate
a maximum limit on appropriations,
including an allowance for probable
deficiencies.
Feb. Is Deadline for Report.
The Reorganization Act fixes Feb
ruary Is as the latest date this re-
port can be made to both houses.
The law also provides that If the
estimated receipts exceed the esti-
mate Of expenditures, the report
shall contain a recommendation
for reduction in the public debt"
j On the other hand, if estimated
expenditures are greater than esti-
mated income, the resolution must
contain section authorizing an in
crease in the public debt equal to
the excess spending.
The House and Senate will make
the final decision, however, as to
whether the savings resulting from
budget-slashing are to be used to
reduce the debt or cut taxes.
Chairman Knutson of the Ways
land Means Committee and other
prominent Republicans already have
put themselves on record for some
/ lSee RIIDGET PAGE All