Evening star., 1949-06-23
Bill With White House,
Back U. 5. Pay Funds
Signed by President

President Truman today signed
the $S62 ,563 900 second deficiency
appropriation bill, providing funds
for rebuilding or repairing the
White House and back pay for
thousands of Government workers.
The act also grants money for
Is separate District government
activities.
The Presidents action makes
available $2.000,00o in cash and
$3.400,000 in contract authority
for the new Commission on Rem
ovation Of the White House to
plan remodeling or rebuilding the
presidential mansion.
Independent architects and
engineers may be hired to help
the new commission, which will
meet each Tuesday morning to
carry out the project. Formation
of the commission, headed by
Senator McKellar, Democrat. Of
Tennessee. broke a House-Senate
deadlock over whether the White
House should be repaired or en-
tirely rebuilt.
$1,759,S63 for Salaries.
A total of $1,759.863 was pro-
vided for District salaries, includ-
ing those for Rent Control
Administration employees whol
have not been paid since April.
Stricken from the measure was
$4,000, 900 to finance the sesqui-
centennial celebration in Wash
ington next year-leaving thel
problem of financing UP to officials
of the city and the celebration.
The District appropriations in
eluded $250,0o0 for critically
needed supplies at Gallinger Hos
pital, funds to convert the old
Gales School building to health
clinic and $161,125 for mainte-
nance and construction Of addi-
tional school facilities.
Meanwhile, a logjam OF money
bills has piled up In Congress,
and House leaders lay the blame
on the Senate.
With just a week to go before
their 1949 money runs out. every
agency and department Of Govern
ment except Congress itself is
still awaiting passage OF Its ap-
propriations bill for the coming
IL months.
All the departmental money
measures have passed the, House,
which set a speed record this year
by getting the last regular appro-
priation bill out of the way on
June 8. That bill, which carries
the congressional budget, Is the
only departmental appropriation
bill that has reached the White
House.
Five Tied Up i'm Committee.
OF the 10 other regular money
bills. five have passed both the
Senate and House but are tied up
in conference. A compromise
version of one of these-financ-
ing the Treasury Department.
was rejected by the Senate yes
terday with a demand that more
money be included for cracking
down on tax evaders.
Five more appropriation bills
have not yet emerged from the
Senate Appropriations COMMITTEES.
These are the really "big" bills.
accounting for more than half the
annual Federal budget.
The five, all highly controver-
sial, finance the defense estab-
olishment; the Veterans Admin 7
istratioa, the Atomic Energy Com
mission, the Interior Department,
the foreign aid program and some
miscellaneous agencies.
If history repeats itself, the
Senate may ram all or most OF
them through during a hasty
pause in the labor bill debate
which is now taking up its time.
That's what House leaders are
hoping for.
Status Of Fund Bills.
Here is the status Of the regu-
lar money bills:
Passed by both House and Sen
ate: Legislative.
Passed by House: District Of
Columbia. Treasury-Post Once,
Labor Federal Security. Army En-
gineers, Interior. Agriculture, |
.State-JuStice- Commerce. National
Defense. Independent Ofi1ces and
foreign aid.
Passed by Senate in different
form: Treasury-Post Office, La
ibor Federal Security, Army En-
sgineers, Agriculture and State
sJustice- Commerce.
I Not considered yet by Senate:
District of Columbia. Interior.
National Defense, Independent
sOfiices and foreign aid.