Evening star., 1947-07-28
Trumon's S Legislative Program
Eured Well in 8Oth Conqress
By Clark Beech
Assoeiofed Press Sfoff Writer

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By Clark Beech
As.oeioted Press Sfoff Writer
Harry S. Truman, fourth President
in so years to have a Congress O.
the opposite party, Jared pretty wei
with the Republican Legislators.
His batting average with the 80tt
Congress compares favorably, in fact
with the one he marked up with the
18th, in which Democrats were ir
control.
He asked the 10th for 50 pieces
Of major legislation. He obtained 10
failed on Is and won a draw on Z
He was turned down on the nomi-
nation for which he made his strong
est fight, that of Edwin Pauley, Cali
fornia oil man, to be Undersecretary
Of the Navy.
From the S0th Congress he got
most Of the foreign policy measures
he requested. He prevented a tax
reduction and a curb on wool i'm
ports in two vetoes on which he
staked much.
Budget Cuts Disputed.
As the session drew to q close
both Democrats and Republicans
claimed victory on the hot issue
Of Federal budget reduction. The
Democrats said most of the appar-
ent economies were only book
keeping" but the Republicans
claimed they had put through most
Of the budget cuts they had planned.
1t was obvious that substantial
reductions had been made in funds
allotted to the Departments of Com
merce, State, Labor, Agriculture,
Navy, Interior and War.
A feature of the congressional re-
organization plan, by which Con-
gress at the beginning of the ses-
sion was to have made its own es-
innate of Federal expenditures and
income, appeared to many legisla-
tors to have been a failure.
The House agreed to reduce Presi-
dent Truman's s37, 500, 900, 600 budget
by $4,000, 100000, The Senate set
tied on $4,500,000,0OO. When the
two plans stalled in conference moth
ing more was heard of them.
Failed in Social Legislation.
The President in his message this
session substantially reiterated his
32-point legislative program, first
enunciated last session. A large
proportion of it represented social
legislation. His score was poorest
in this field, as it was in the Sew
enty ninth Congress.
Mr.. Truman's unique achieve
ment was to make veto of the tax
bill stick. It was the first time
in American history this had hap
pened. Only one other tax bill ever
had been vetoed-by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt-and in that
case 1t was overridden. Tax mea-
sures trsditionally have been con-
sidered the exclusive prerogative of
Congress
Passage of the Taft Hartley La
Dor Act constituted the President s
most striking defeat. His long,
sharply worded veto message, in
which he said "the bill taken as a
whole would reverse the basic di-
rection of our national labor policy"
failed to win him sufficient support
to sustain the veto.
One Nominee Rejected.
Mr.. Truman was remarkably sue
cessful in obtaining confirmation of
nominations he sent to his Republi-
can opponents in this Congress. His
only important failure in the
Eightieth Congress was in the NOM
ination of Francis Biddle to be
United States representative on the
United Nations Economic and Social
Council.
After it had been blocked for more
than five months, repeatedly be-
cause COP leaders considered Mr.
Biddle too much of New Dealer,
the President withdrew it at Mr..
Biddle's request.
All the Presidents nominations
for postmasters were held up in
the Senate Civil Service Commit
tee for months, but most of them
we're cleared when Senator LANCER,
Republican, of North Dakota, COM
mittee chairman, obtained a $50. 900
fund to investigate alleged political
activities on the part of some post
master nominees.
Won Aid to Greece.
The David E. Lilienthal and Cor
don r. Ciapp nominations, to head
the Atomic Energy Commission and
the Tennessee Valley Authority
respectively, were the subjects of
prolonged hearings and acrimonious
discussions. Both Democrats and
Republicans were among the opposi-
ton. But both men finally won
confirmation.
The President won clear victories
in his requests for aid to Greece
and Turkey, for post-UNRRA relief,
for the confirmation of treaties
with Italy, Hungary, Romania and
Bulgaria. and for United States
participation in the international
Refugee Organization.
Congress agreed with him that the
armed services should be unified.
He failed to obtain a bill to ad-
NIT large numbers of European dis
placed persons. Congress did not
approve his plan for Standardization
of arms with other Western Hemi-
sphere nations. 1t compromised
with him on continuing the State
Departments foreign information
services. 1t allotted $4,000, 600 for
the work; $3l 900, 900 had been re-