Evening star., 1961-06-26
BY ROBERT X. WALSH
Star staff Writer

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Star staff Writer
Another temporary" in
crease proposed for the $2S5
billion permanent" national
debt limit gave House members
a chance today to range over
the entire fiscal alphabet from
Astronomical to Zenith.
Needing congressional action
before the 1861 fiscal year ends
Friday midnight, the bill before
the House this afternoon would
raise the ceiling to 1898 bill
lion for the coming fiscal
period. That would be $13 bill
lion above the so-called PERM
aren't limit and SIS billion more
than the previous temporary"
limit.
Congress lifted the $2s5 bill
lion ceiling temporarily to $295
billion for the 1860 fiscal year
and made it $293 billion for
the present fiscal year. That
$293 billion temporary" total
will revert to the statutory
permanent limit of $285 bill
lion on Saturday unless Con-
gress pushes it up temporarily
again.
Practically everybody in the
House expected the $2o8 bill
lion figure to be approved to-
day though the protest vote
has been growing bigger and
louder. The 1859 vote for the
$40 billion temporary" in
crease was 265-111. Last year
it was closer, 222-174 for the
SO billion temporary" move.
G. o. P. to Attack
Republicans served notice
they would use most Of their
share Of a scheduled four hours
Of debate today to belabor
what they called the Kennedy
administrations "compulsive
and unrestrained spending
practices" They warmed up
for the attack by citing the
House-approved $40 billion
housing bill as just another
reason why Congress was be-
ing forced to raise the debt
limit for the third year in a
row.
Representative Mason Of
Illinois, top Republican on the
Ways and Means Committee,
warned that If Congress passes
all the key bills recommended
by the administration the
temporary" debt limit will be
exceeded even before the 1862
fiscal year ends next June.
Democrats said they were
ready for a counter-attack
against what Representative
ONeill Of Massachusetts,, a
Rules Committee member, de-
nounced as a "debasing, dis
graceful political report, a dis
senting statement issued by
Ways and Means Committee
Republicans.
a dissenting statement by Ways
and Means Committee Repub-
licans.
Despite partisan squabbling
both sides were expected to
agree that the requested in
crease was at least an unavoid-
able if not necessary evil at
this time.
Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Mills, Democrat OF
Arkansas, estimated that the
actual national debt will total
about $286 billion at the end
of this week and thus exceed
the $285 billion statutory debt
limit.
Little Breathing Space
He reported that the Treas
ury Department forecast a debt
peak of almost $297.9 billion
next January on the basis oi
seasonal variation in the timing
of governmental receipts ano
expenditures and other finan-
cial factors. The requested in.
crease also reflected an es.
timated $3.7 billion in the Fed
eral budget deficit during the
fiscal year.
Thus. he said. the Treasury
will have little enough breath.
ing space under the proposed
one-year increase to $298 bill
lion in the temporary" limit
AS to what would happen i
Congress refused this request
Mr.. Mills explained that tn,
Treasury would have no au
thority to pay national obi
cations by exceeding the $685.
billion statutory debt limit.
He said this essentially coult
amount to reputation Of tn
national debt but as q practica
matter the Government woult
have to make drastic cutback
in expenditures. Such suddel
huge slasheS would gravel