Evening star., 1954-05-16
Ways and Means Unit
Gets Social Security
Measure Tomorrow

Social security legislation
listed as a must" for this ses-
sion of Congress - will finally
reach the full dress rehearsal
stage before the House Ways and
Means Committee tomorrow.
House Republican leaders said
they expected the bill to come
up for floor debate next week.
They predicted. moreover, that
the measure will be substantially
along the lines recommended by
President Eisenhower.
The drive for changes in the
, social security system neverthe-
less has had a slow and some
: times rough course. In recent
weeks Republican members of the
. House committee tangled on
major points. Some Democrast
: on the committee have charged
that their Republican colleagues
delayed action by numerous Sc
cret sessions to smooth out their
own differences, instead of con-
vening the full committee for a
showdown last month.
Democrats Want Discussion.
Committee Chairman Reed
announced yesterday that his
25-member group will meet in
executive session beginning to-
morrow. There was a possibility
1t might report out the bill after
one sitting, but this seemed
doubtful in view of the wish
of several Democratic members
to discuss it in considerable de-
tail.
Democrats in general have in
dicated they will support the leg
iSlation if the major amendment
proposals are substantially what
Gen. Eisenhower requested Janu-
ary IA. The Democrats, in fact,
content that most. of the Eisen-
hover suggestions are essentially
the same as Democrats previously
advocated.
One major change would ex-
tend social security coverage to
more than 10 million persons.
These would include several mil
lion farm operators and workers,
as well as various self employed
groups. and State and local gov
ernment employees having their
own retirement plans. The pres
ent law covers about 70 million
persons and their families.
Another key amendment would
lift the limit on annual earnings
which a pensioned worker could
accept without losing benefits
under the Old Age and Survivor
Insurance program. The pres
ent law bans benefit payments
for any month in which a re-
tired person earns $75 or more.
Compromise Expected.
The amendment proposal that
repeatedly has caused greatest
controversy among the Republic
cans themselves concerns the
salary or wage level at which
social security taxes would be
levied.
Such taxes now apply to the
first $500 of annual earnings.
Gen. Eisenhower recommended
that the level be $4,000. AS a
result of the almost daily closed
meetings of Republican men,
bers of the House committee
during the last two weeks. there
have been reports that the bill
to be put before the full COM
mittee tomorrow will propose a
compromise of $4,000.
The Social Security Bill that
finally will emerge from the
committee will be the product of
almost two years of intensive
study and hearings by a sub
committee headed by Represen-
tative Curtis, Republican. Of
Nebraska. Earlier this year the
full committee held additional
open hearings.
Several influential Democrats
as we'll as Republicans in the
House said they believed a mid
dle-of -the-road" bill conforming
generally to the Eisenhower rec
concentrations has good chance
of going through Congress this
year-which, they noted, is a
congressional election year.