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THE URBAN COALITION ACTION COUNCIL JOHN W. GARDNER CHAIRMAN 1819 H STREET. N . W. WASHINGTON. D. C . 20006 14 June 1968 WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT (Current as of June 14, 1968) FROM: The Staff The Status of Substantive Legislation The Emergency Employment and Training Act of 1968 Senate hearings have been completed. Subcommittee Chairman Clark has not been able to set up a meeting to discuss the broad, bi-partisan approach to this legislation (with Javits and Prouty), thus mark-up will be delayed. Administration Position There is no change in the Administration's position of opposition to the bill expected to be evidenced during debate. Status of House Legislation The Select Subcommittee on Labor intends to schedule more hearings, but it is not definite as to when. There is a remote possibility that hearings can be completed before the end of the month. The Revenue and Ex penditure Control Act of 1968 (formerly the Tax Adjustment Act of 1968) As p _r eviously reported, the Senate-House Conferees agreed on a 10 per cent tax surcharge with $6 billion in budget cuts . TEL E PHON E : 20 2 293 -1530 . �- 2 - The Preside nt has relucta ntly a gree d to a ccept the $6 billion in budge t cuts. Indications are a substantial amount of this will b e out of nonessential d e fense and space programs. Housing and Urban Developme nt Act of 1968 Se n a te The Senate filed a clean bill, s. 3497, and pass e d it substantially as introduced on May 28. House The Housing Subcommittee of the House Banking and Currency Committee has reporte d out its version of the bill. The bill is b e ing mark e d- up b y full Committee . Titles I t hrou gh V h ave b een acted on, with Title IV (bonding for New Communities) droppe d altoge ther. The Senate allowed $250 million for Title IV. Rea listica lly , the b ill will not come up f or p assage in t h e House unt il mid-July . The Status of Appr o p riations Measure s The p r oposed s che d u l e o f acti on on the p art o f t he App ropriations Subcommi t t ees concern i n g l egi s l at ion o f intere st to the Action Council is: 1. The Hous ing and Urban Deve lopme nt Appropriations b ill for F i sca l Year 1 969 passed t he Hou se on May 8 . I t i s in t h e Senate Appropriations Subcommit tee on Indepe nde nt Offices . . Hearings have been comp l e ted but the bill will not go to mark-up until the NASA aut horization b ill c lears the Conference Committee (NASA's appropriation is part o f t h e HUD appropriat ion bill ) 0 The appropriat ions process f or HUD i s complicate d by the fact that HUD is asking the Se n a te Committee to approve appropriations which are authoriz e d. in .. �- 3 - this year's Housing Act: '$1.4 billion for Urban Renewal (including projects in Model City areas) for Fiscal Year 1970 plus $350 million in renewal grants for Model City areas for Fiscal Year 1969. To avoid the need for a supplemental appropriatio~, the Administration would prefer holding up action on the Appropriations bill until the Housing Act of 1968 is passed and signed. 2. The Labor-HEW (including OEO) Appropriations bill has not yet b een marked-up in _Subcommittee. The bill is stalled because o f an apprehension it will be cut up if reported soon. Strong efforts are warranted now to get the bill out and preserve the vital appropriations for education and antipoverty. 3. The Regular Suppleme ntal for Fisca l Year 1968 has been passed by the House and is in mark-up in the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Supplementa ls, chaired by Senator Pastore. No funds for Head Start or Summe r Jobs programs we re included in the House bill. An attempt will be made by Senator Yarborough on June 17 to add $25 million f o r He ad Sta rt in Subcommittee . Se nator J avits , who attempted to add $51 million for Summe r Jobs and $25 million for Head Start to the Highwa y Appropri a tions bill on June 13 (the motion to table.carried by only 44 to 32, making . his effort clos e though unsuccessful), will likely join in this effo rt and may try to get funding for Summe r Jobs a l s o. I f the Senate does not add f unds f o r thes e two p rograms in the Supplemental appropriations bill, it is unlike ly any other effort will succeed. 4. The Urgent Supplemental Appropriation bil l for 1968 is sti ll technically in Confe r e nce Committee. Although it contains the funding for -Head Start and Summer Jobs, for al l practical purposes, this measure i s d ead. No one s hould be misled because the Conference Committee has b een holding meetings on the bill. They are mere l y going through the motions . ... �