The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1959-10-01


some time, the House came up
with a 1-cent increase. The Presi-
dent said that this would suffice for
a slowed-doWn program, and the
Senate Immediately passed it. The
increase goes into the highway
trust fund
Public Works-The Omnibus
Public Works Bill, as finally
passed, contained 67 projects not
included in the Presidents budget.
1t contained funds for rivers, har-
bors. flood control. and numerous
other public works in every
State of the Union. It was called
pork barrel legislation because,
like the barrel of pork that stood
in the old country store, there was
a morsel in it for everybody. The
President vetoed the measure, and
his veto was sustained in the House
by a one-vote margin. Then Con-
gress sent the President an iden-
teal bill. except for an across-the-
board cut in funds for all projects.
Again, a veto This time the veto
was overridden by the required
two-thirds in both Houses.
Agriculture-For several years,
Congress and the Administration
have been in a stalemate over
farm policy The President and his
Secretary of Agriculture have fav-
ored tightening of controls over
farmers and a gradual abandon
ment of subsidies, while the Ma
jority in Congress have favored
more subsidies and more controls.
There was no change this year
as Congress passed, and the Presi-
dent vetoed two bills for upward
revision of price supports and pro-
duction controls. One dealt with
wheat, the other with tobacco. No
attempt was made to override the
vetoes.
Civil Rights-Proponents and OPP
ponents Of new legislation to pre-
serve the constitutional rights of
Negroes and other minorities pro-
duced much oratory and little ac-
ton. Delaying tactics kept all civil
rights legislation bottled up in
committee. Leaders finally agreed
on a 2-year extension OF the life of
the Civil Rights Commission, and
this provision was tackled on to the
Foreign Aid Bill.
Foreign Aid-The bipartisan
spirit in which Congress long has
handled questions Of foreign poll
cy underwent severe strain. The
Presidents 1896, 100000 request
for continuation of the Mutual
Security program ignored Con-
gressional demands for a shift of
emphasis away from military aid
grants and toward more loans for
economic development The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee re-
wrote the Administration pro-
gram. 1t provided for a Develop
ment Loan Fund to be financed by
Treasury advances of 1,000000,000
year for five years. The new fl
nancing device was removed on
the Senate floor by close 48-42
vote The Presidents opposition,
based ON his stand against back
door spending" was apparently
the deciding factor. When the bill
for Mutual Security appropriations
reached the Senate floor in the clos
ing hours of the session, it carried
S3,225, 100000, and this was passed.
Military Early-session demands
in Congress for Strengthening the
country's striking and defense
power over and above the Presi-
dents recommendation subsidized
when the potential of our pre-
paredness position became known.
Instead, Congress appropriated
slightly less than the Presidents
request for a total of S39,248,000,-
600. Congresses military construc-
ton appropriations followed rather
closely the recommendations of
the Pentagon. Although no funds
were provided in the bill specifi-
cally for MACE guided missile ia
cilities overseas, the Secretary of