Evening star., 1949-01-04
NoPrioritySe Set
ForLegis|ation,
Rayburn Says
Predicts All of Trumun
Proposals Will Be
FoyorobIy Received

House Speaker Rayburn pre-
dicted today that all of Presi-
dent Truman's legislative pro-
posals will be received in Con-
gress with considerable favor"
but he said no priority list for
LEGISLATION has been set up.
Mr.. Rayburn, at his first news
conference since being elected to
head the House in the 81St Con-
greSs, refused to predict what the
President will say in his annual
state-of the-Union message to Con-
gress tomorrow, and he declined to
60 very far in giving his personal
views on expected legislation until
the President is heard.
However, the Speaker did COM
ment on two proposals which will be
high on the congressional agenda.
l.. That Congress will act before
the January 20 Inauguration to raise
President Trumar's pay-or at least
to increase the emoluments of his
Office"
2. In answer to a question, he
said he did not think Congress
would repeal the Hartley la
Dor law outright without enacting
something in its place
Mr.. Rayburn was asked whether
he agreed with labor leaders that
the -Hhartley law should be re-
pealed and the old Wagner Act re-
stored before possible amendment is
discussed, or whether he favored the
suggestion that Congress should
provide complete labor law in one
package along with repealof the
present statute. Representative
Lesinski, Democrat, of Michigan, ex-
pected to head the House Labor
Committee, is one advocate of the
latter approach.
Il shouldn't think Congress would
pass bill repeating the Hart
ley Act and all other labor legisla-
ton and leave nothing in its stead"
the Speaker replied. However, Mr..
LeSinSki has not discussed the mat
ter with me or with Majority Leader
Mccormack.
On the subject of Mr. Truman's
pay, Mr. Ravburn said he also is
very much in favor" of a pension
for Presidents after they leave the
White House.
Must Act Before January 20.
A presidential pension bill was the
first measure introduced in the new
Congress. Offered by Representa-
tive O'Toole. Democrat, of New York
it would give former Presidents
S25 900 year At the moment, only
Herbert Hoover would be eligible.
Mr.. Rayburn said Congress doesn't
have to act hurriedly on that, add
ing with grin: L hope MIR Truman
will live to be the next President,
8, y, or l6 years from now"
ANY formal pay raise proposal will
call for speed. To do Mr.. Truman
any good on pay raise. Congress
must act before he is inaugurated for
/ his first full term on January 20.
/ The Constitution says the President
can't have a boost after he takes
over for the new term.
In line with Mr.. Rayburn's pre-
diciion that the Presidents legis-
lative program, to be submitted to-
morrow, will be received with con-
siderable favor there were indica-
tions that the President will get
some unexpected Republican sup
port.
Truman Talk Tomorrow.
Mr.. Truman will face the law
makers tomorrow when he delivers
his annual Stete-of the Union mes
sage 10 joint Senate-House session.
The four major Radio networks will
carry the address, beginning at
pm.
With both Senate and House in
recess until tomorrow, members of
the Democratic majority and the
Republican minority were trying to
interpret an opening day House vote
which on its face, indicated that
President Truman may have a lot
of Republican support in the new
Congress.
That vote was on an adminiStra-
ton backed proposal to curb the
power of the House Rules Commit
tee, on which in the past a coalition
of Republicans and Southern Demo-
Gratis has blocked major legislation
wanted by the President. The same
coalition was a distinct possibility
again this year, especially with re-
gard to legislation to repeal the
Taft Hartley labor law.
So Truman Democrats backed a
change to make it easier to get
around a Rules Committee road
block. They proposed that anytime
a Legislative Committee approves a