Evening star., 1949-03-23
Less Costly Version
|0f Pension Bill Likely
To Pass House Today
Amendments Pressed
After Roll Call Reversal
Saves Runkin's Plan
By Chris Mothisen

The Rankin veterans pension
bill was scheduled for major
surgery in the House today, after
escaping death by a narrow mar
gin yesterday.
On the basis of the members
refusal to send the multibillion-
dollar measure back to committee,
it appeared the House was ready
to vote for some sort of pension
measure-probably one restricting
benefits to World War I veterans
and requiring them to establish
need.
A reversal which Chairman
Rankin of the House Veterans
Committee, author of the bill
called "a revival Of Righteousness
saved the pension plan in yester.
days parliamentary maneuvering
On q nonrecord vote the House
agreed, 1853 to 154, to a motion
by Representative Carroll, Demo
crat, Of Colorado, to strike out
the enacting clause. This, in ef-
feet, would have left no bill.
This occurred while the men,
bers were sitting in the commit
tee of the whole, a relatively in
formal situation for the consid-
Grafton of bills in which no roll
calls are permitted.
Many Members Change Vote.
After apparently deciding tc
knife the Rankin proposal. which
would pay $50 a month at IS tc
all veterans of both World Wars
not dishonorably discharged il
they served 80 days, the House re-
versed itself.
Changing from the committee
Of the whole to regular House
status, the members voted by
roll call on a second motion by
Mr.. Carroll to send the bill back
to the Veterans Committee fol
further study. The tally was %;
to 1877 against this move.
Then. Mr.. Rankin demanded 9
roll call on the first Carroll mo.
tion. Faced with having them.
selves on record, many members
changed sides and the vote was
291 to 120 against the move tc
kill the bill.
The House then was back where
it started-considering the meas
ure in committee of the whole.
Huber Plan Up Today.
The drive to alter the broad
Rankin measure drastically by
amendment resumed. Before sus-
pending work for the day. the
members accepted, on a voice vote
an amendment to limit benefits
to holders of honorable discharges
Representatives Hinshaw Of Cali
fornia and Kearney of New York
Republicans, offered it.
The effect would be to deny
pensions to holders of bad-con.
duct and similar discharges.
The principal amendment due
for consideration today is one
sponsored by Representative
Huber, Democrat. of Ohio. which
is in the nature of a complete
substitute for the Rankin plan.
In addition to limiting pay
ments to World War I ex-service-
men, it would establish financial
need as q requirement for bene-
fits. In addition, it would increase
the payments now made to vet
erans suffering from disabilities
not caused in service.
Cost 2 to- Billion q Year.
Mr.. Rankin. Mississippi Demo-
crat, and his supporters have at
tackled bitterly the proposal to
eliminate World War II veterans
from the bills coverage.
The original Rankin bill would
cost approximately $125,000,000.-
900 during its first so years, &C
cording to Veterans Administra-
ton estimates, with the annual
cost ranging between 2 and 6 bill
lions.
MIR. Huber estimated his substi-
tute would have an initial cost In
1850 Of about $438,000. 900.