Evening star., 1950-05-11
Democrats Looking
To Senate 10 Restore
House Cuts in Budget
gH the A..s<ieAes grs..

Routed by q laSt-ditch Repub-
lican economy drive. House ad-
ministration leaders looked 70 the
Senate today TO restore cuts in
a package $2S.s94 ,34o.ls4 ap-
preparation bill.
Just how much the House
chopped from the measure. passed
last night after . month OF de-
bate, was q matter OF controversy.
But Republicans claimed their
two llth-hour amendments mean
savings Of at least q billion dol
lars-exactly what they had been
shooting for. Democrats said the
figure would be considerably
smaller.
If the Senate-vhich custom
arily adds 10 the House totals
can figure out the exact effect OF
the amendments. 1t will do better
than many House members have
been able TO DO.
Tabor Offers Figures.
Representative Taber OF New
York, quarterback of the Republi-
can economy drive. cited a set Of
his own figures showing that an
amendment he offered calling for
a $500 million cut might actually
result in savings closer to 81
billion.
And Representative Jensen. Re-
publican. OF Iowa claimed his
amendment-which sets q ceiling
on the number Of Federal job
vacancies which may be Allied in
the year starting July would
save $400 million. even though it
makes no specific cut in money
allotmentS in the bill
Chairman Cannon of the Appro-
priations Committee called both
claims 'extravagant and pre-
posterous."
Mr., Cannon said many Of the
cuts in the Taber amendment
duplicated reductions already
made by the committee. That
group trimmed slightly more than
SIS billion from the Presidents
budget before the bill reached the
House floor.
Jensen Points to Turnover.
There is no way OF telling how
much the Jensen amendment
would save. Mr.. Cannon added.
even if the Senate should accept 1t.
But Mr.. Jensen said the history
of job turnover in Federal en-
ployment indicated a $400 million
saving. Mr.. Taber said it would
reach $500 million.
The Jensen amendment went
into the bill by a 201-to-l85 vote.
with sizable group OF Democrats
supporting the almost solid Re-
publican membership.
Mr.. Taber's amendment got
274-to-112 vote. In addition to
ordering a fiat $500 million cut,
1t would limit the amounts that
could be spent for operations such
as travel, employment. transport
tation. communications. printing.
rents and utilities.
The Taber reductions range
from 2 to 20 per cent below the
Presidents requests, falling least
heavily on the Defense Depart.
ment.
$400 Million Had Been Added.
The Jensen and Taber amend
mentS went into the bill Just a.
the economy drive appeared
doomed to failure. Previously the
House had added $45l million TO
the Appropriations Committees
recommendations.
Before passing the bill by Q
362-to-21 count. the House re-
versed an earlier vote which had
added $2,543,340 to the bill for
maritime training programs.
Above the claims and counter
claims this much appeared cer-
tain from the record:
/. The $28, 1894 ,340,l in cash
and in contract authority requir-
ing cash later-iS 81 l8,590,504
less than the President requested.
2. The $14,296, ,487 300 for ma
tional defense is $385 $50 900 more
than the committee originally rec
commended and $182, 2,027 800 more
than President Truman requested
last January. The Presidents re-
quests were boosted later by $3.50
million and the House approved
the increase, leaving the defense
budget still $167.972.700 short Of
the revised requests.