Evening star., 1953-03-31
The Political Mill
Social Security Laws
Go Up for Action Soon
House Committee Ready
To View Proposed chunees
By Gould Lincoln

To View Proposed Changes
By Gould Lincoln
The House Ways and Means Conn
mittee, through subcommittee on So
cial security. is about to get down to
the job Of considering amendments to
and changes in the social security
laws. President Eisenhower, in his ad-
dress to Congress on the state Of the
Union last January said:
There is urgent need for greater
effectiveness In our programs, both pub
lie and private, offering safeguards
against the privations that too often
come with unemployment, old age, ILL
ness and accident. The provisions Of
the old age and survivors insurance
law should promptly be extended to
cover millions of citizens who have
been left out Of the Social Security
system. No less important Is the en-
couragement Of privately sponsored
pension plans. Most important Of all,
Of course, Is renewed effort to check
the initiation which destroys so much
Of the value of all social security pay
mentS."
The Ways and Means Committee has
just taken on new staff member, Karl
T. Schlotterbeck, formerly with Brook
ings Institution, and assigned him to
work with the subcommittee in its con-
sideration Of social security legislation.
Already more than 100 bills dealing
with social security have been intro
duced in the House. and almost as
many in the Senate. Representative
Curtis of Nebraska is the subcommit-
tee chairman, and the other members
are Representatives Goodwin of Massa-
chusettS, Baker of Tennessee and Cur
tbs Of Missouri, Republicans; and
Cooper Of Tennessee. Dingell Of Michi-
gan and Mills Of Arkansas, Democrats.
New Department Created.
President Eisenhower has already
taken one forward step in regard to So
cial security administration. He has
obtained congressional approval on Re-
organization Plan No. /, which creates
q new Department of Health, Educa-
tion and Welfare with its head q
cabinet officer. It takes the place
of the Federal Security Adininistra-
tion. This will place Mrs. Oveta Culp
Hobby. Texas Democrat. in the cabinet
as the new Secretary of Welfare.
Chairman Curtis Of the subcommittee
plans to confer with Mrs. Hobby re-
garding the subcommittee study and
legislation to improve the present sys-,
tenn.
Two bills to increase largely the num-
Der Of persons covered under the Old
Age and Survivors Insurance Law are
&rNfN H%wR aAnAa
Kean, Republican Of New Jersey and
Representative Lane, Democrat, Of
Massachusetts. Presumably such meas
ures will have administration backing.
There will be no rushing into new legis-
lation, however. There is every indica-
ton that the House committee, and the
Senate committee, too. will give the
whole problem Of social security legis-
lation most careful scrutiny before at.
tempting to write amendments and
additions to existing law. The likelihood.
therefore, Is that the actual enactment
OF legislation will take place In the Sec
ond session Of the present Congress
either next fall or in 1854. The Social
Security Act, which has been amended
from time to time, became law August
IA. 1885. 1t provides for Federal grants
in-aid to help States with aid for the
needy aged and blind, children deprived
Of support by parents death, inca
pacity or absence: material and child
health services, services for crippled
children and child welfare services. In
addition it sets up two forms Of social
insurance. The first Is Old Age and
Survivors Insurance, the only program
under the act which is wholly Federal.
The second is the Federal-State system
of unemployment insurance.
Millions Covered by System.
Millions Of Americans carry social Sc
curity cards-each with his or her own
particular number printed on 1t. Sixty
five years is the age under which the
card holders begin to benefit they
retire-in the Old Age and Survivors
Insurance program. According to the
survey made by Congressional Quar-
terly, about 13 million persons in the
United States had reached the age Of
IS at the beginning Of 1852. About 4
million Of them were working at jobs
or were wives Of men who were working,
and approximately 3.3 million were re-
ceiving benefits under the Old Age and
Survivors Insurance program. Another
81 million were receiving aid through
the Federal State program for the
aged needy.
The maximum payment under Old
Age and Survivors Insurance Is $85 q
month, and the minimum $25. There
are dependents benefits. The payment
to the wife or dependent husband or
child of an injured person is half the
sum paid the retired worker. The pay
ment to q widow, dependent widower.
single surviving child or parent is three
quarters of that sum. The total paid
to family cannot be more than $168.75
month. In the case Of worker who
dies and is covered by the insurance. the
widow or widower gets q lump sum
which Is three times the workers
monthly benefit.
The subcommittee will consider ex-
tending social insurance coverage to
groups not now covered, among them
farmers. ministers. physicians and other
professional workers. It viii consider
the advisability Of increasing Dement'S,
and of permitting q retired worker who
receives more than $75 month from
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