Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-21
Capitol Is Cool
To Humphreys.
Fund Bill Ideas

Treasury Secretary Humph-
rey's plan to improve" congress
sional methods of handling Gov
ernmental appropriation bills
met a cold reception at the Cap
itol today, A House Appropria-
lions Subcommittee concluded
after almost two years of study
that the proposal is "fraught with
defects and disadvantages such
as to render it impracticable."
Under a provocative but timely
title, Administration Plan to
Improve Congressional Control
of the Budget" the subcommit-
tee headed by Representative
Mahon, Democrat of Texas, sub
mitted its findings to the full
Appropriations Committee. The
findings were far from favorable
to suggestions Mr.. Humphrey
made at closed committee hear
ing in July, 1855.
Under the Humphrey plan
each bill reported by the
committee would be accompanied
by "up-to-date tabulations in the
nature Of a. running Scorecard
showing the current budget out
look an dthe effect of the ac-
companying bill on budget re-
Suits" the subcommittee ex-
planned.
Would Defer Final Action
Instead Of being sent i'm
; mediately to the White House.
individual appropriation bills
would be ''laid on the shelf for
presentation to the President en-
bloc upon financial clearance of
the last appropriation bill" On
the basis of a final tabulation
showing the effect of all the
bills on the overall budget situa-
ton. the Appropriations Com
mittee not later than June each
year would send an "amendatory
appropriation bill' for House
consideration.
1T is wholly unrealiStic" the
subcommittee declared, TO
presume that mere up-to-date
scorecards on the current budget
outlook would impart to legisla-
tive deliberations any informa-
ton which could reasonably be
expected to influence the ulti-
mate outcome -.
ITO formalize into the law
and the rules a specific, con-
tinuing procedure under which
the Congress. by the very nature
of the mechanics prescribed, un-
dertakes to commit the legisla-
tive branch to a concentrated
budget balancing and retrench-
ment effort year after year
might. it would seem. tend to
promote fiscal responsibility in
the executive branch.
There might well be a growth
OF the seeming tendency to let
more spending proposals come
forward in the budget when the
President is in a position to
withhold appropriation requests,
reduce expenditures and make a
balanced budget. The budget is
by law his budget, his RESPONSE
bility. Would it not be man.
ifestly unrealistic to impose on
the appropriations committee
the specific burden of bailing
the situation out after the House
had previously debated. amend
ed and adopted appropriation
bills?"
No Simple Shortcut
The subcommittee insisted
that there is no simple short
F, cut, no magic retrenchment de-
vice. no budeetary system with a
built-in guaranty of economy or
efficiency"
The full Appropriation Com
mittee approved the subcommit-
tee report. Representative Whit
ten. Democrat of Mississippi,
tried unsuccessfully to have the
committee approve a plan which
would require yearly appropria-
tons estimates to be presented
on the So-called annual accrued
expenditure basis. That plan, in
corporated in a bill introduced in
Congress last year and again this
year. would have the appropria-
tons estimated on the basis of
goods and services expected to
be received during the year re-
CARELESS of when they were
actually used or paid for.
The subcommittee also frowned
on a proposal that Congress an
nually appropriate funds for
actual expenditure during the
year instead of providing money
for future obligations.
Mr., Humphreys proposal orig
mated long before the current
spat between the House and the
White House as to whether the
President and Cabinet officers
fought to specify where further
cuts could be made in the ST. 8
billion budget for the coming
fiscal year Mr.. Mahon indicated
to reporters today. however, that
/ issuance Of the report was re-
sgarded as likely to be helpful"
in view Of the aroused discussion
of hudeet cutting