Evening star., 1952-06-17
Pension Boost Bill
Passage by House
Is Expected Today
By Robert K Welsh

Inc Dill TO raise Social Security
payments and broaden benefits of
the old-age and survivors insur-
ance program seemed sure of
House adoption today by a two
thirds majority vote.
Despite strong opposition, Dem
ocrats as well as some Republican
supporters of the measure pre-
dicted passage. They based this
forecast on a voice vote. which
yesterday indicated overwhelming
approval.
The legislation, estimated to cost
$500 million year, has not come
up in the Senate. It would in
crease monthly payments SIS a
month or 1914 per cent, whichever
was larger.
Would Raise Income Amount.
1t also would raise from $50 to
$40 a month the amount of in
come Social Security beneficiary
could receive without losing any
benefits. Still another provision
aims at preserving the insurance
rights OF permanently or totally
disabled persons. Provisions Of the
. bill would apply to about as mil
; lion persons.
The bill, as brought up yesterday
under suspension of the rules, diff
fered slightly from the form in
which it failed to receive a re-
quired two-thirds vote on May 10.
The vote at that time was $50 to
140 for the bill.
The heated House debate yester-
day brought Republican charges
that the measure, even with it's
changes, would be an entering
wedge for socialized medicine.
Chairman Doughton of the
Ways and Means Committee,
scoffed at that assertion. He also
denied Republican charges that
the bill was written in any way
by Federal Security Administra-
tor Oscar Ewing or that politics
was played in bringing it up for
a second time.
The bill. as voted on last
month. would have authorized the
Federal Security Administrator
specifically to make rules for
medical examinations of persons
claiming permanent or total dis
ability. The revised bill would
require only that such claimants
furnish proof "as required"
Representative Kean, Republi-
can. of New Jersey, a leader of
the G. o. P. group that favors
the bill. said the change should
ease fears voiced by the Ameri-
can Medical Association and
others that it would lead to So
:cialized medicine.
Reed Leads Attack on Bill.
: Representative Reed, Republi-
can, of New York, led the attack
on the bill. He said the general
authorization section actually
would give Mr.. Ewing more
power than he would have had
under the original version. The
'Gelhocratic move to get House
passage under the unusual sus-
pension of rules procedure was
blasted by Mr.. Reed as gag rule. u
Representative Katharine st.
George, Republican. of New York;
declared that a bill introduced re-
Gently by Mr.. Reed was consid-
erably more liberal in expanding
benefits to Social Security recip-
tents than was the bill under con-
sideration.
The voice vote seemed so loud
In the affirmative that Speaker
Rayburn said he believed it rep
resented a two-thirds majority.
Passage, however, was blocked
when Representative Ford, Re-
publican, of Michigan protested
that sufficient members had not
voted to signify the necessary
two-thirds majority.
The Speaker ruled that in &C
cordance with a previous agree
ment the roll call would be held
today. He did not indicate
whether he would order the vote
as soon as the House convened
at noon.