Evening star., 1949-02-19
Rankin TO Force Vote
On Veteran Pensions
Despite Truman Stand


Chairman Rankin of the House
Veterans Committee, a leader of
the Southern Democrats, will
force House showdown on his
multibillion- dollar veterans pen
sion measure despite administra-
tion opposition.
AS President Truman, for the
second time within "a hours, was
making it plain yesterday that he
is against such legislation, Mr.
Rankin asked the Rules Commit
tee to send the bill to the House
for a vote.
To get action, Mr.. Rankin is
taking advantage Of the bitterly
contested rules change which the
administration drove through this
year to prevent Republicans and
Southern Democrats on the Rules
Committee from teaming up to
sidetrack administration meas
ureS.
Delay Limited to FL Days.
Under former rules, the COM
mittee could have tied up the
bill indefinitely. but the change
limits the rules groups delaying
powers to 81 days.
After that, the chairman of the
committee sponsoring the bottle
necked bill can force a vote in
the House simply by making a
motion. The Veterans Committee
is sponsoring the pension bill.
Mr.. Ranwin wrote to each rules
member yesterday asking for a
hearing. If he doesn't get action
within 81 days, he told newsmen.
he will take advantage of the new
rule. A House test could not come
before March IA, when motions to
act on sidetracked bills will be in
order.
Democratic leaders said pri-
vately there is nothing they can
do about 1t. One of them said
ruefuIly:
I'VE took a calculated risk when
we had that rule passed" But he
added that he believes the pension
bill would lose on a showdown
vote in the House.
VFW Delegation Sees Truman.
Mr.. Truman's viewpoint was un-
derscored late in the day when he
was visited by a delegation from
the Veterans of Foreign Wars
which is supporting pension legis-
1ation, and also is backing the
Presidents program for global
prosperity.
Himself veteran of World War
I. the President called attention
to the fact that there are 17,000,-
900 or 100000 veterans in the
country.
He said it is necessary for these
to help maintain the Government
and to see that the Government
maintains the solvency that is
necessary for its continuance.
Il hope YOU can continue your
constructive program" Mr.. Tru-
man continued. "I hope it will be
possible for you to help me to help
the veterans Of this country un-
derstand that this United States
is theirs. They fought to main
tain it,"
But to maintain it, he went on,
eve must understand that it has
certain limitations.
Stability Emphasized.
"It is your Government
and there are certain limits to
which its financial welfare cannot
be stretched. I want you to bear
that in mind very carefully when
you are considering the welfare of
the veteran"
The President reminded VFW
officials and members of Congress
Thursday night that Americas
economic stability must be pre-
served "in this crucial period of
world history" Again without
mentioning the Rankin bill. he
said the first consideration" of
any veterans program should be
the welfare and rehabilitation of
Ill and disabled veterans and the
care of their families or survivors.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Rankin vigor-
ously defended his program.
The Mississippi legislator told a
group of VFW leaders that his bill
would cost only $62,000,000 the
first year.
He said that under the Marshall
Plan, 1--WE spend $900,000.000 for
tobacco to send to Europe. more
than 10 times what this bill could
cost the first year"
Experts Estimates Higher.
The estimate was far under the
tallies of congressional money ex-
perts, who figured the Rankin
plan would cost $129, 100000 in it's
initial year, rising annually to an
ultimate peak of $4,000, 900. 900
q year by 1890.
Representative Kearney, Repub-
lican, of New York. former VFW
commander in chief, told the vet
erans that Mr.. Rankin's bill as
drafted would create the greatest
antiveteran sentiment in history" ?"
MIR. Kearney said he objected
particularly to a provision allow
ing veterans with other than hon
orable discharges to share in the
proposed pension.
II refuse to vote pensions Tor
homosexuals, drunkS and AWOL's
bordering on desertion," he said.
D,,kI;n uo.yinn fn{ March Il