Evening star., 1953-06-25
The Political Mill
$l0-Billion Budget Cut
FuIfiIIs One COP. Vow
s. Billion Already Suved
In Eight Appropriation Bills

s. Billion Already Saved
In Eight Appropriation Bills
By Gould Lincoln
With $1O-billion cut in the Truman
budget submitted to Congress last
January already in sight. Chairman
John Taber of the House Appropria-
tionS Committee is now predicting
that the cuts will reach $13 billion
when all appropriations for fiscal year
1854 have been finally disposed Of.
Whether $40 billion or $13 billion.
these reductions represent tremen-
dous saving Of American taxpayers
dollars, saving that will speed a cut
in taxes which now burden the Ameri-
can people.
Chairman Taber estimates that a
reduction Of at least 81 billion will be
made In actual spending for the fiscal
year 1954-through the action of Con-
gress on appropriation measures-and
that this will be largely increased
through wise administration. particu-
larly by the Department of Defense.
This, he contends. will not mean at all
lessening Of national defense. What
It means is that a balanced budget will
be In sight, If not actually in effect.
at the beginning of fiscal year 1855,
July I, 1854.
Balancing the Federal budget is not
q new experience for hard-driving.
veteran Chairman Taber. He was
chairman Of the House Appropriations
Committee during the 80th Congress
also controlled by the Republicans
when the budget was balanced and q
surplus was developed for the first time
in many years. During the present
session of Congress, backed by his COM
mittee and the House, Mr.. Taber has
been able not only to cut the Truman
budget, but also to reduce by substan.
tial amounts the revised budget esti-
mates submitted to Congress by the
Eisenhower administration.
Bills on Agenda.
Chairman Taber and his committee
have still to lay before the House the
Defense Department. Mutual Security,
permanent appropriation and final
deficiency appropriation bills, to clean
up the long list Of spending and
authorizations for spending He is
confident that the Department Of De-
tense bill will go through in conformity
with the Eisenhower administration
program, which knocks $5.27 billion
of the Truman budget estimates.
About S. billion Of this comes out Of
the Air Force appropriations. In the
opinion Of Chairman Taber, this does
not mean any real loss in the present
and projected strength Of the Air Force.
On the contrary, he expects that under
the present administration the actual
fighting strength of the Air Force will
be greater than under the plans Of
the old administration.
The loud outcry with which the pro-
posed cut in the Air Force appropria-
tions was Immediately greeted has
diminished. The current inquiry by q
Senate Armed Forces Subcommittee
into the way in which Air Force funds
have been expended has thrown a
damper on the efforts Of the defenders
OF the larger appropriation. The
clamor, IN some quarters. for the scalp
Of Secretary Of Defense Wilson has
pretty much gone with the wind.
The Defense Department bill is to
be taken up next Tuesday in the House.
when the showdown will come ON the
Air Force cut The deficiency bill will
probably follow it, and then the
Mutual Security bill, according to
Chairman Taber's timetable, will be
reported to the House July II and
taken up July 20. The House authori-
zation bill for this appropriation re-
duced the administration estimate by
around $500 million. The appropria-
ton bill, however, may cut the figure
still lower.
Tax Cut Seen. ...-
In the four appropriation bills the
Senate has passed, it has sustained
the cuts made by the House, generally
speaking. # it sticks to the economy
program, and there is every reason to
believe it will, the Congress and the
administration will have lived up to
main pledge, made during the presiden.
tial campaign Of 1852, to reduce ex-
penditures Of the Federal Government
by a wide margin and to make pos
sible again balanced budget. The Eli
senhower administration and the Re-
publican candidates for Congress, in
OF these accomplishments
Further, unless there should be Q
really material falling off in revenues.
the administration will be in position
next year to urge tax reduction-which
Congress will certainly provide. If that
happens, the G. o. P. will go to the
polls with substantial chance of victory.
To recapitulate, in the eight appro-
priation bills already passed by the
House, a reduction of approximately
So billion has been made in the Truman
budget estimates. It is expected that
another $527-billion cut will be made
in the estimates for the Defense De.
partment, and more than 81 billion in
the estimates for Mutual Security. Tbs
total exceeds $40 billion.