The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-07-28

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the Bricker amendment, and in
creased retirement payments for
Civil Service and postal workers.
Some measures will pass the
House in which they originated
and will fail to be considered by
the Senate. 1t seems extremely
unlikely that the Senate will
! consider the ouse-approved re-
duction of income taxes, the
| House-approved return to fix
ed price supports for agricultural
commodities, and there is con-
siderable doubt whether suffici-
ent opportunity remains to per-
NIT the Senate to thoroughly
study and enact extension of the
Social Security Act.
Social Security
On Monday of this week, the
House passed the Social Security ;
Act of 1855 which extends social
security benefits to certain
groups not presently covered,
reduces the age limit for women
from siXty-five to SiXty-tWo,
and provides for social security
payments to totally disabled
workers fifty years of age and
over.
Such extensions are regarded
by most people as being worth
while and beneficial to the
groups which they assist. How
ever, such legislation also neces-
STATED a provision to provide the
revenues to pay those benefits.
For some reason, known best to
itself, the leadership of the
House did not see fit, in fact,
refused to permit, public hear
ings on this legislation. Although
the legislation has passed in the
House, it is not now known with
any degree of accuracy or even
probability, the full impact of
the revenue-producing legisla-
ton. 1t is estimated that the
| extension of benefits will cost
at least 2 billion dollars each
year.
Those estimates came on the
basis of divinations made with
out public hearings or serious
study Of the issue. The measure
was passed upon that assumption
and it may be that the future
will disclose that estimate was
far too low and then it will be
necessary to again increase the
social security contribution rate
even further. At the present
time, every person under social
security contributes 21o of his
pay. The new legislation, if en-
acted by the Senate, will increase
this percentage to 212%o. If the
future determines that it takes
an increase to 3 or even 4%o. to
support the benefits contained in
the legislation just passed, the
question will arise as to whether
the Congress was justified and
the working men and women
themselves would approve a
burden upon their incomes suf-
ficient to pay for the legislation.
supported the philosophy and
aims Of the bill, but l believe
the manner in which it was pre-
sented to the House was a
'AA@tAAAN ~ C<AG14ll PIC VI 4CS1SldblSll
in the dark. Those of our citizens
who are directly affected are the
scores Of millions Cf workers
who contribute to social security
and who live from its benefits.
The responsibility of jerry
built legislation pushed onto the
floor of the House Of Representa-
tlves under a gag rule allowing
no amendments and limiting de
bate on this far-reaching mea-
sure to forty minutes. can give
any thoughtful citizen cause for
concern over what the future
may hold for the social security
program. He may well wonder
what Congressional tinkering
will do to his investment in the
program. Certainly, the caprici-
Gus behavior Of the leadership
in the House of Representatives
last Monday has set dangerous
precedent.