Evening star., 1949-07-28
Senate, Dead|ocked
By Rules, Starts Anew
On Foreign Aid Bill
By the Assoeioied Press

- 49,
A confused Senate-tangled ir
its own complex rules-today
groped for way to reach vote
on the big foreign aid bill.
The whole vast issue was
thrown back into the lap of the
Senate Appropriations Commit
tee late yesterday on a technical
point, leaving the Senate just
where it stood two weeks ago.
Chairman McKellar was ex-
pected to call the committee into
extraordinary session some time
today to decide on a course of
action.s
Some Senators demanded the
entire recovery program be re-
opened.
The Economic Cooperation
Administration already has COM
mitted most 2 of its emergency
funds, and the European Recov-
cry Program may grind to a halt
before the bill gets back on the
Senate floor for a. vote.
Action Is Summarized.
Briefly. here is what happened
in the four hours of confusion
which stalled the aid bill:
Majority Leader Lucas raised a
point of order-a challenge
against an amendment which
would have required ECA to ear
mark $1,5OO,0O0,0O0 for buying
surplus American farm commodi-
ties. The amendment was spon.
sored by Senator Mcclellan,
Democrat, of Arkansas.
Senator Lucas fight to kill the
Mcclellan amendment finally led
to a ruling by Vice President
Barkley which was challenged by
Senator Taft, Republican. Of Ohio.
The Senate sided with Senator
Taft by a vote of 81 to SO.
And then Senator Mcclellan
challenged the entire bill with
point of order which automatic
ally sent the measure back to the
committee.
The basic issue was not Euro
pean recovery-but whether the
amendments violated Senate rules
by writing new legislation into an
appropriations bill. The Consti-
tuition requires that all appropri-
ations originate in the House.
Mr.. Barkley told reporters the
people of Europe should not be
alarmed by the vote-because it
was purely a technical matter of
Senate rules. He predicted a for
eign aid money bill will be passed.
But the action wiped out four
days Of Senate debate and left
the issue hanging in doubt-pos-
sibly for weeks. .
Chairman McKellar and Sena-
tors Mcclellan and Wherry, Re-
publican, of Nebraska all said
they saw no reason for the COM
mittee to back down on the
amendments opposed by the Sem
ate leadership.
Mcclellan Stands Firm.
I'm not going to back down."
Senator Mcclellan said. I'm 60
ing to fight to keep the farm
commodity amendment in the
bill. And I'm in no rush. I think
we should review the whole thing
and perhaps cut another
$1,000. 100000 off the European
Recovery Program"
Senator Wherry thought new
hearings might be helpful--,but
Senator Saltonstall. Republican,
of Massachusetts,. a strong sup
porter of ECA, said he hopes there
will be no delay.
Senator McKellar said the bill
probably would be offered in the
same form a second time. He said
1t is his understanding thai the
Senate action strips the bill Of all
changes made by his committee
in the House-passed version. This
means a Senate decision to cut
ECA funds 10 per cent has been
nullified at least temporarily
along with other changes. |
The bill contains this aid. pro-
gram:
Cd $3.77s, 100000 for ECA's
second year of operations.
(2) $1,074,00o.oo0 for the final
quarter of the last fiscal year,
which ended June 30.
90 5000, 100000 for the occu-
pied areas of Germany, Austria,
Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.
90 $45,0o0,000 for Greece and
T1Irkey.