THE CONGRESS: Forgotten Institution

The full employment bill, as introduced last January, was never much more than a high-sounding Government promise to try to keep everybody working. As passed (71-10) last week by the Senate, its remains were called by one cynical legislator “a damned good New Year’s resolution.” Disappointed Senate Majority Leader Barkley, who had seen another of Harry Truman’s “musts” amended beyond recognition, snapped, “It now guarantees everybody out of work the right to seek a job—if he can find one.”

The Senate had done exactly what Ohio’s hardheaded, conservative Robert Alphonso Taft had demanded for months, usually with small support. It had passed an amendment declaring that for whatever the Federal Government spends (after 1947) there must be new taxes “to prevent any net increase in the federal debt.” In short, the Senate had taken a stand for that all but forgotten institution, the balanced budget.

Liberal spending, if necessary to create federally financed jobs, had been part & parcel of the original Murray-Wagner proposal; an unbalanced budget had been the financial keystone of Franklin Roosevelt’s and Harry Truman’s administrations. Federal outgo and income had not matched since June 1930, just after the beginning of the last great depression, and the national debt now stood at $26.2 billion. But when the Taft amendment was put before the Senate, “Dear Alben” Barkley spoke only a few mild-mannered words of protest. Then Georgia’s economy-minded George rose to thunder:

“I don’t see how anyone can oppose this amendment unless he wishes to admit frankly that this is a program for deficit spending.”

After Walter George had finished, the Senate quickly agreed (82-0), sent the bill to the House, where it was likely to be passed, budget balancing and all.