Congress1 Week

Said one top G.O.P. congressional leader, pulling a twist of metaphor from his pocket and biting off a big chaw: "The President has been having a great time twisting our tails, and now by God we're going to do some twisting on his. Let's see him take it a while and see how he likes it. We've got some pretty good ones cranked up and we're going to belt him with them before the session is over."

The biggest congressional belt buckle was the tax reduction bill which Harry Truman had vetoed three weeks ago. Republicans had wrathfully introduced it again. They took another veto for granted. But they thought that by changing the effective date from July 1, 1947 to January 1948, they might muster enough strength to override the President. In the House, Speaker Joe Martin expected to ram the bill through early this week with better than a two-thirds majority, rush it along to the Senate.

In the Senate, Republicans had picked up the potent support of tight-fisted Democrat Harry Byrd, who figured that 61 Senators were sure to approve; by next year they would be voting for tax cuts anyway. The Senate agreed to vote in time to have the measure on Harry Truman's desk at least ten days before adjournment, thus prevent a pocket veto (i.e., killing the bill by inaction after Congress is out of session).

House Republicans had some other weapons in their locker. This week they passed a bill authorizing 8 1/2 million veterans to cash nearly $2 billion worth of terminal-leave bonds. It was not solely a bid for veterans' support, Republicans explained blandly; it was to help Harry Truman reduce the federal debt.

To promote discord in Democratic ranks, the Republicans also dusted off the anti-poll-tax bill.

And that was not all. Crowed the G.O.P.'s spokesman: "We're going to hand him some tough legislation on Communists in government and dare him to veto. We're going to give him some trouble on his Pendergast associations and the Kansas City frauds. Now it's our turn."

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