Evening star., 1947-03-31
House Leaders Plan
Recess After Passing
Pared Appropriations
BY The A..eesussd Press

n +
"A $2,471.498,548 appropriation
bill, including the first big step
In q Republican drive against
Government press agents, stands
today between the House and
an Easter recess.
II it Is passed and sent to the
Senate by tomorrow evening, the
Housd will adjourn Wednesday for
one week, returning on Thursday,
April 10.
While there was likelihood of long
debate over several provisions of the
bill, House leaders were confident
they could get 1t behind them on
schedule and get their branch out
OF town for the first vacation since
Congress convened early in January.
Senate Plans Long Week End.
The, Senate, still deep In debate
on David E. Lilienthal's nomination
to head the Atomic Energy Com
mission and with President Tru-
mans Greek Turkish aid program
almost ready for consideration,
plans only a long Easter week end
beginning Thursday night. ~
Chairman Taft of the Republican
Policy COMMITTEES told a. reporter
that night sessions will be held if
necessary to bring the Lilienthal
debate to an end before the
projected Easter recess.
Senator Knowland, Republican,
OF California was to take the floor
today for defense of Mr.. Lilienthal
and five other atomic nominees as
the Senate resumes debate today.
The first vote will come on mo-
tion by Senator Bricker, Republican,
Of Ohio to send all the nominations
back to the Atomic Energy Commit
tee for further investigation of
the appointees' records by the Fed
eral Bureau Of Investigation.
Thomas Sees Stalling.
While Senator Bridges, Repub-
lican, Of New Hampshire, an op-
ponent of confirmation, claimed that
some of Lilienthal's supporters have
indicated they will vote for the mo-
ton, most hackers of the nominees
said they are certain they can de-
feat it.
That's just simply plan to stall
and delay" Senator Thomas, Demo-
crat, of Oklahoma, commented. IF
there are enough votes to confirm
him, it won't get any place."
The debate-provoking provisions
of the House appropriation bill, a
deficiency measure financing mis-
cellaneous agencies for the three
remaining months of the current
fiscal year, included these:
l. An order directing the Vet
erans' Administration to reduce the
number of its public relations en-
ployes from 281 to 100. Republican
leaders announced several months
ago they were planning a drive
against all Government press agents,
Chairman Taber of the Appropria-
tions Committee claiming they are
too numerous and are making
Washington reporters lazy"
VA Cut Half a Billion.
2. A cut of more than half a bill
lion dollars In VA allotments, main
ly from the pension fund and from
funds aforr benefit payments under
the. GI Bill Of; Rights.un o. -4.s,
8. Refusal to appropriate addi-
tional money for the National Labor
Relations Board, whose 1948 allot-
ment was cut sharply In a separate
bill passed rby the House last week
but still. pending in the Senate. -.
4. Rejection by the Appropriations
Committee Of Budget Bureau re-
quest for funds to pay court
approved salary claims of three for
mer Federal workers fired In 1943
at Congressional insistence. The
three are Goodwin B. Watson, Rob-
ert Morss Lovett and william E.
Dodd, jr. In refusing the claims,
aggregating $2,158, the committee
ignored the Supreme Court ruling.