Evening star., 1947-06-17
'RepubIicansFaiI
.1o0verridei in
Surprise Action
Switch Of Two 6. @. P.
Votes Would Have
Given Two-Thirds
fRoH CAL on Page A-5.)
BY ]. A. o'Leory

The House today sustained
President Truman's veto of the
$4,000, 900, 900 Republican tax re-
duction bill, thereby killing it
finally and completely.
The vote was 268 to override and
1877 to sustain. With 405 members
voting, two more votes on the af-
firmative side would have given the
two-thirds required to override. Two
Republicans voted to sustain.
The President thus won his first
major test of strength with the
Republican-controlled Congress by
a slender margin. With the House
sustaining the Presidents action.
the fight was over, and it will be
unnecessary for the Senate to vote,
since both houses must override.
The action came as a surprise to
many who had expected the veto to
be overriden in the House, although
1t was conceded that the Senate
would vote to sustain.
Result Same on Recount.
The result was so close that Re-
publican leaders called for a recount,
in the hope of a last-minute change
due to possible corrections or ar.
rival of absentees.
AS soon as the result of the first
roll call was announced, Majority
Leader Halleck was on his feet, de-
manding recapitulation, which
required the clerks to call the roll
again. The result, however, was the
same.
There had been speculation in
Senate cloakrooms yesterday of pos
sible changes both ways among
Democrats who voted on opposite
sides when the bill was passing
originally, but the House verdict
ended the battle.
Voting to override the veto were
233 Republicans and 35 Democrats.
Two Republicans Back Truman.
Supporting the President were 1874
Democrats, two Republicans-Carl
Andersen Of Minnesota and Hull Of
| Wisconsin-and the American Labor
member, Marcantonio of New York.
On the original House vote Mr.. An
derson voted against the bill and Mr..
Hull was recorded as not voting.
Applause broke out on the DEM
ocratic side as the vote was an
nounced.
Apparently foreseeing the result,
Speaker Martin had told reporters
just before the roll call:
This is the last say on taxes this
year. 1t looks like we will have to
wait until next year, when we have
Republican President, to get q
tax bill
His comment also foreshadowed
the injection of the tax issue into
the 1948 political campaign.
If the bill had become law, it
would have given 100000 individ-
uals income tax cuts, ranging from
80 per cent in the lower brackets, to
10.5 per cent year at the top Of
the scale. Wage earners subject to
withholding taxes would have re-
ceived the reduction as an increase
in take-h pay, starting July /.
For the second half of this calendar
year, the cuts would have been one
half the annual rate, or Is per cent
in the low brackets and 5.25 at
the top.
Short One Vote on Passage.
When the bill passed the House
early this year the vote was 273 to
137-just one vote short of the two
thirds majority.
Later, when the House was accept
ing Senate changes in details, the
vote was 220 to 80.
The Senate vote was So to "a on
original passage of the bill.
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee is in session today, continuing
hearings on comprehensive revi-
sion of the tax laws next year-em-
bracing changes in corporation levies
and excise rates as well as further
relief for individuals.
Mr.. Truman himself closed his
veto message yesterday by say
ing now is the time ito plan" a
thorough-going tax revision He
said the timing of such a program
is highly important to achieve eco
nornic stability, but he carefully
avoided predicting when the time
would arrive.