Evening star., 1954-08-21
Much of President's S Program
Enacted by SD Congress
By J. A. O'Leoy


By J. A. o'Leory
The 83d Congress went home
today after giving President
Eisenhower nearly all the legisla-
tion he asked for.
The Presidents biggest vic
tories of the grueling 1854 ses-
sion were acceptance of his f1ex-
ible farm price support system,
the first complete revision of the
tax laws in more than half a
century and expansion of the
old-age pension and unemploy-
ment compensation programs.
The only major defeats he
suffered were:
l. Refusal of Congress to cor
rect inequities in the Taft Hart
ley labor law.
2. The sidetracking of his plan
for Government reinsurance of
private health plans.
3. The killing of statehood for
Hawaii by House leaders after
the Senate voted to include state
hood for Alaska.
4. Defeat by the Senate of a
Constitutional amendment to
lower the voting age from 81
to 18.
MANY VICTORIES.
In contrast to these setbacks,
Gen. Eisenhower and his legiS-
lative floor managers marked up
a. high score Of accomplish
nlents. ~ y ~ @1iss
On some important issues the
administration had to settle Tor
half a loaf, but in every Con-
gress compromise plays a part
in the passage Of some major
bills.
Some Of these compromises,
such as occurred on farm parity,
public housing. reciprocal trade,
atomic energy and tax revision,
will be lively issues in the fall
campaign for control of the next
Congress. Republican orators
will point with pride, while the
| Democrats will view with alarm
/ the results of these compromises.
Here is what the 1854 session
has on the credit and debit sides
of its ledger:
PUBLIC WORKS.
1. Passage of the st. Lawrence
Seaway project, which had been
blocked in Congress for more
than 80 years. q
| 2. Approval Of a. two-year
Federal aid highway program,
authorizing $975 million annu-
ally for 1856 and 1857.
3. Adoption of a 81 billion
omnibus river. harbor and flood
control bill.
GOVERNMENT FINANCES.
1. Appropriated about $47.6
billion for all purposes, out of
administration budget requests
totalling $50.2 billion. This was
a reduction of $2.6 billion.
The appropriations made at
any session give no indication,
however, of how much the Gov
ernment will spend in the en-
suing year. Because of the time
required to construct public
works and to build defense
equipment. such as planes and
tanks. the expenditures in each
fiscal year come partly from
funds appropriated in earlier
years.
Another factor that will make
the spending total higher than
the appropriation figure Is the
$6.8 billion of annual interest on
the public debt, which is a fixed
charge that does not appear in
the appropriation figure.
Senator Byrd. Democrat. of
Virginia, estimated recently that
expenditures In the current fiscal
year will total $685. billion, and
that Government tax collections
will amount to $61.2 billion,
which would indicate deficit of
over 81 billion next June 80.
2. Compromise the Presidents
request for SIS billion increase
IN the $275 billion limit on the
public debt by authorizing a Sc
billion increase for this fiscal
year only.
3. Put through the tax laws
revision which will reduce taxes
both for businessmen and wage
earners by $1.3 billion the first
year and make other important
changes.
1. Extended for another year
existing taxes on alcoholic bev-
erages. tobacco. gasoline and
automobiles. but reduced by 81
billion the excise rates on q
variety of other goods and serv-
ices. These reductions were not
recommended by the admins
tration. but were accepted after
Congress approved Them
HEALTH AND WELFARE. !.
l. Passed two of the Presi-
dents health bills ands side
tracked two Others. The ap-.
proved bills provide an expanded