Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-12
Bridges Sees
|S3.3 Billion Cut
In BudgetLike|y
BY J. A. O'LEARY


shire. top-ranking Republican on
the Appropriations Committee.
predicted last night his goal Of
a $2.3 billion budget cut nov
appears possible Of attainment. "
He based his forecast on what
the House has trimmed from the
first eight money bills. plus
President Eisenhower's own sug-
gested savings, and on. the pros
pect Of further reductions by
the House and Senate in big
money bills still to come.
Senator Bridges pointed out
that Government departments
have not appealed to the Senate
on about $547 million Of the
$1.2 billion the House cut from
the first eight bills.
To this assured saving the
Senator added the $1.8 billion
of possible cuts mentioned by
the President in q letter to
Speaker Rayburn on April Is.
Overlapping Eliminated
He then eliminated any over
tapping in these two figures and
reached the conclusion that car
rying out these suggestions
would accomplish $2.3 billion in
savings to date.
THAT amount the Senate,
continued. lis just 81 billion less
than my own suggestion, and
believe that well over 81 billion
can be picked up out of those
bills that have not yet come
to the Senate by bearing down
a little more heavily than the
President did in agriculture
foreign aid, public works, and
defense.
when these bills do come over
from the House, I would expect
to see trimmed from them well
over the extra billion I am work.
ing for. There are many ways In
which this could be done. Fol
instance. consider the fact that
out Of the sos billion of esti-
mated unobligated funds in the
Defense Department at the end
|of fiscal year 1858 there will bt
SIS billion not even committed
Also. the average cut given tt
foreign aid in the last four year,
applied this year, would be $45(
million over the Presidents sug.
gested cut (of $500 million)
Furthermore. expect the Senate
will go along with only a small
part of departmental and agenc,
appeals from the House cuts.
Continued Effort Urged
This word Of encouragement
to the taxpaying public should
not be the cause for any re.
taxation in effort. Although thu
goal is in sight, just as in foot
ball the going gets tougher in.
side the 20-yard line. RedoubleC
efforts will be necessary to score
that $3.3 billion victory"
All Of these figures relate t.
new appropriations, and do moi
guarantee corresponding reduc.
tons in the administration.
$71.8 billion spending figure
which will come partly from the
carry-over Of funds already OF
hand. These carry-overs repre-.
sent a substantial part Of tn,
spending for military equipment
and foreign aid. But cuts in new
appropriations will be refiectet
in curtailment Of future spend
ing. and to some extent in thu
coming year.
Although the Senate has actet
ION several deficiency bills. i
faces its first test on the 1851
budget tomorrow when it Begin
debate on the $3.8 billion meas
ure for the Treasury and Pos
Once Departments.
In this bill the Senate Appro'
Ipriations Committee surprised
most observers by not restoring
any Of the $50 million Of Hous,
cuts. 1t even reversed its Treas
ury-Post once subcommittee b!
refusing to put back any Of tn,
$50 million cut from Post Of1c'
funds.
Douglas Seeks Further Cut
It was not certain yesterday
whether any administration sup.
porter viii try to put back Thu
Post once money on the floor
But one Democrat. Senator
Douglas Of Illinois. said he prob.
ably will try to make further
cuts in this bill.
From now until early in July
the Senate will spend most Of
its time on appropriation bills
and will pass nearly all Of them
by the beginning Of the fiscal
year, July l.
But the big defense and for.
eign aid bills. which represent
about half of the entire budget
probably will be the last con-
sidered in July. The foreign
aid budget must await passage
of a new enabling act. which will
not 60 through until some time
in June.
Senator Ellender, Democrat OF
Louisiana, complained yesterday
about the practice Of leaving
the defense and foreign aid bills
until near the end Of the ses.
sion. He said they should bt
taken up early in the year "se
as to give US enough time te
screen each item carefully"