Evening star., 1947-02-23
Budget Formula
|Matching0utgo,
Income Urged
Bridges and Tydings
Propose Amendment
To Constitution
By J. A. O'Leory

by }. A. OLeory
While the Senate prepared to
resume debate tomorrow on a
budget ceiling for next year, two
Senators, a Republican and
Democrat, announced yesterday
they would join in trying to write
a more effective budget-bal-
ancing formula into the Consti-
tuition.
Chairman Bridges of the Senate
Appropriations Committee and
Senator Tydings, Democrat, Of
Maryland, are working together to
get action on the constitutional
change, even though they disagree
in the current battle over how much
should be trimmed from President
Truman's $37 SOC, 100000 budget for
next year.
Senator Bridges is supporting the
House economy goal of Sc ,000, 600, 900.
while Senator Tydings is favoring
the s4,50O,0o0,0oO substitute goal
offered by Senator Millikin, Re-
puDllCdH, u NOlOl duo.
Amendment Proposed.
The constitutional amendment
they have joined in drafting would
require a roll call vote of three
fifths of each House before Congress
could appropriate more money Tor
any fiscal year than the Governments
expects to collect in that year.
If Congress should appropriate
more than the Governments esti.
mated receipts without three
fifths vote, it would require the
President to eliminate the excess
by applying, uniform percentage
cut to the appropriation bills, with
certain exemptions. The exceptions
would be interest on the public debt,
veterans pensions and benents'
adjudicated claims against the Gov
ernment, and trust fund payments,
The ceiling on which the Senate
will vote this week IS not bindlng
figure, but goal for the House and
Senate Appropriation Committees 10
aim at when they act on dozen
separate departmental supply ollls
later in the session.
Compromise Expected.
Informed sources still predicted
last night the Senate will adopt the
81, 500, 100000 reduction goal, ano
then reach compromise with the
House, which favors $4,000, ,000, 900
There were reports that If the
81, SOC, 100000 amendment carries "
will be followed by another amend.
ment to specify $750,000,000 as tbs
most that could be cut from the
armed services. 1t has been charged
during the debate that the $4,000.
600 900 overall cut would necess1-
tate taking $1,750, 100000 from the
Army and Navy and $5o0,00 600
from War Department civil func-
tionS.
Still another amendment remain
ing to be voted on is that Of Senator
Knowland, Republican. OF Cali
fornia to earmark $4,000, ,000, 900 OF
whatever is saved for debt reduc-
ton. This will give rise to debate
as to whether tax reduction or debt
retirement should come first.
There is no assurance the Senate
will reach a final vote on the budget
ceiling resolution before Wednesday.
The possibility of drastic cut
back in plans for National Guard
and reserve components of the Army
is expected to be considered at a
session of Army officials opening to-
morrow
Meeting Called by Patterson.
The meeting of the War Depart
ment General Staff committees on
National Guard and reserve policy
was called by Secretary of War Pat
terson, an announcement said, Ito
study problems connected with the
reserve and National Guard COM
ponents."
The Senate Appropriations Com.
mittee will inaugurate its new pol
icy of holding open hearings on
appropriations when a subcommit-
! tee meets at pm. Tuesday to con.
slider the $139, 800, 900 urgent def.
cheney measure.
In that Dill the House reduceo
OPA funds for the remainder OF
this fiscal year to an extent which
officials contend will prevent the
agency from carrying on its re.
manning functions of controlling
rents, sugar and rice, if the Senate
sustains the cuts.
While the battle over the fixing
of an overall budget ceiling goes
on, all of the appropriation bills
for the new fiscal year, starting
July /, remain in the drafting stage.
Chairman Taber of the House Ap-
preparations Committee, where they
all originate, declared yesterday,
however, there will be no legislative
jam later in the session over these
money bills He pointed out that
subcommittee have nearly COM
pleted hearings on several DEPART
mental budgets without waiting for
the overall ceiling.
Mr.. Taber said his committee will
proceed to act on these departmental