Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-14
BY ROBERT X. WALSH
Star Staff Writer


A $l.1 billion authorization
bill limited to Federal grants
and loans for "brick and NOR
tar" projects for public and
private colleges and universities
seemed likely to Withstand at
temptS to amend 1t in the
House today.
The future Of this key meas
ure in President Kennedy's pro-
posals to aid education, how
ever, will be bleak if the Senate
makes substantial changes and
the legislation boys down in a
HouSe-Senate conference COM
mittee as happened last year.
Republican and Democratic
leaders predicted House pas
sage Of the bill without great
difficulty" late today or to-
morrow. Bipartisan sponsors
described it as more satisfac-
tory than the 1862 House meas
ure which called for SIS bill
lion for construction of aca-
demic facilities.
G. o. P. members regarded it
as an Improvement also because
1t does not include Federal aid
for scholarships and no longer
Is tied in with the administra-
tons original recommended
ton for an omnibus aid bill in
Guiding grade and high schools.
Proposed Changes
The bill nevertheless faced
Intended amendment moves
that could cause trouble today.
The following major changes
we're expected to be urged by
individual House members, but
not by any member Of the
House Education and Labor
Committee:
i. An anti-discrimination
rider such as was defeated last
week when the House passed
another administration-re-
lueSted bill to broaden voca-
ional education assistance and
programs. That proposed
amendment would ban Federal
aid funds for such programs
where racial discrimination was
practiced.
2. A scholarship aid amend
nent such as the administra-
lion originally recommended.
The Senate last year approved
SIS billion higher education
aid bill that included scholar
ship grants. The House in
sisted on its bill solely for con-
struction funds.
3. An amendment to allow
judicial review of grants and
loans to institutions of higher
learning. This could open the
way for a Supreme Court rul-
ing on the constitutionality Of
Federal aid to private colleges,
particularly those operated by
religious denominations.
Religious Factor
The issue Of Federal finan-
cial assistance to church-con-
nected schools was a main
cause Of House inaction last
year on a bill for Federal aid
only to public elementary and
secondary schools. The yques-
ton Of aid to private as well as
public colleges and universities
was mentioned only briefly in
House debate last year and ap-
parently played no appreciable
part in the House approval of
q construction bill.
This year there has been
more discussion of the matter
in connection with the bill
pending in the House today.
There were unofficial reports
that an amendment might be
offered to limit the bill to pub
lie institutions. Democratic and
Republican leaders said they
knew of no such intention.
They added that any such
move probably would be de-
feated.
Republican Leader Halleck
recalled that in the 319-79
vote for the higher education
aid bill last year, about A Re-
publicans and 35 Democrats
opposed the measure. He said
a few more Republicans might
vote against the bill today,
mainly as a protest against
what they regarded as con-