Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-10
BUDGET
8 Money Bills Still Pending
In Congressional Log Jam

and procedure. For several
months the two committees
wrote each other stiffly-word-
ed notes. asserting their re-
spective rights and preroga-
tives. but not acting on any
money bills.
This year there has been
only a trace Of feuding over
one bill-the Legislative bill,
which provides for the expenses
OF Congress itself-and that
involves the action Of the SEN
ate as q whole. rather than the
Senate Appropriations Com
mittee.
The Senate added an amend
ment restricting the mailing
privileges of House members.
The House retaliated by refus-
ing since late in June to send
that bill to conference until
this past Friday. House mem
bers say the amendment vio-
lates the principle of comfy
under which each branch reg
ulates It's own housekeeping
problems.
1915-l6 Situation Recalled
Unless that stumbling block
can be removed, the Legislative
branch may have to operate in
definitely under a continuing
resolution.
If that happened 1t would
not be the first time. Veteran
Capitol officials recall that
once, during the Wilson admin
istration, the Post Office De-
partment had to 60 through
the entire fiscal year of 1916
1915 on a Continuing resolu-
ton because its regular bill
was not passed.
The Agriculture bill also has
been delayed in the House since
1t passed the Senate Septen-
Der 80. but is expected to 90
to conference this week.
Members of both houses
agree that the main reasoy
for delay on the money bills
this year has been the neces.
sity Of waiting for authorize
tons to pass before the Appro-
priation Committees can take
up about half Of the money
bills.
There has also been a grow
ing tendency in recent years
to put more and more Of the
governments activities on a
year = t o. year authorization
basis. This means that Con-
gress must go through the en-
tire process of passing twice
on a great many recurring pro-
grams.
The one that gets most at
tention is foreign aid. But
there are now annual author
ization bills also for NASA, the
Atomic Energy Commission, the
construction of barracks and
other buildings at military
camps. the Civil Defense pro-
gram and the Peace Corps. =
Congress last June passed a
new law adding the Coast
Guard to the list Of agencies
that must have an annual au-
thorization before 1t can get
money for new shore installa-
tons or vessels. This means
that next year the Treasury
Post Office appropriation bill.
which includes the Coast Guard
and usually Is considered early,
may have to wait for Coast
Guard legislation.
All of these authorization
bills must go through legisla-
tive committees and pass both
houses before the House APP
preparations Committee can
start considering the appro-
priations for these functions.
No matter what figures the leg
islative committees fix. they
are only ceilings. which the
Appropriation Committees may
cut.
Committees Move Slowly
There is also a widespread
belief at the Capitol that both
the legislative and the appro-
priating committees took their
time in getting these various
programs through because they
knew last Spring that Congress
was going to be here all year
anyhow. struggling with the
Presidents tax reduction and
civil rights bills.
As a result the House APP
preparations Committee has not
yet brought out the public
works and military construc-
ton money bills, and cannot
act on the foreign aid money
bill until the two houses agree
on a ceiling.
| The Senate still has the Dis
trict of Columbia and the big
Independent Offices bills to
pass, and is still holding hear
ings on the budgets for State,
Justice and Commerce.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat
of Arkansas, in charge of State,
Justice and Commerce budgets,
was busy earlier in the session
with the investigation Of the
Tx military plane contract,
and later with crime hearings