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THE URBAN COALITION ACTION COUNCIL JOHN W . GARDNER CHAIRMAN 1819 H STREET, N. W . WASHINGTON. D . C . 20006 May 31, 1968 WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT lCurrent as of May 31, 1968) FROM: The Staff The Status of Substantive Legislation The Emergency Employment and Training Act of 1968 Senate hearings were completed Friday, May 24th. Subcommittee Chairman Clark is anxious to move ahead and bring the measure to the floor of the Senate by the end of June. No problems are anticipated in developing an employment bill mutually acceptable to Chairman Clark and Senators Javits and Prouty. However, the original strategy of taking the employment amendments to the floor as part of the Manpower Act extension is now being ~eevaluated. Administration Position Secretary of Labor Wirtz testified in opposition to the bill saying that such legislation could not be enacted until a "national will to do more about these problems has been created." Indications are that the Administration will actively oppose the bill on the floor of the Senate. Coordination with House of Representatives House and Senate leaders are working together in an effort to develop bi ll s substantially identical in all major respects. Status of House Legislation The Select Subcommittee on Labor expects to schedule additional hearings during the early part of June. TELEPHONE: 2 0 2 293· 1530 �- 2 - Several groups in favor of the legislation, including the Farmers' Union, have yet to testify. Witnesses representing the private business sector will be invited, as well as individuals and organizations experienced in problems of job creation. Hearings on extension of the Manpower Development and Training Act (MDTA) have been completed. The Subcommittee has not yet met to mark-up the bill but is expected to do so by the second week in June. The Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968 (formerly the Tax AdJustment Act of 1968) As previously reported, the Senate-House Conferees agreed on a 10 percent tax surcharge with $6 billion in budget cuts. The final Conference Report, however, has been delayed pending provision of additional back-up material on the tax exempt reve nue bond financing p r ovision. Majority Leader Carl Albert has announced that the Conference Report will not be debated on the floor of the House until June 12th. When the Conference Report is debated, no amendments will be permitte d -- the House mus t vote the r e port up or down. Representative - Burke of Massachusetts, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, sought to amend the Conference Committee bill on Wednesday, May 29 to l i mit budge t cuts to $4 billion , but los t the moti on b y a vote o f 259 to 1 37. Hous ing a nd Urba n De v e lopme nt Act of 1 96 8 Sen ate The Sen a t e fi l e d a clean bill , S.34 97 , a n d passed it substantially as introduced o n May 2 8th . House The Hous i ng Subcommittee of the House Banking and Currency Committee comp l e t ed mark-up of the bill last week. Full committee action is expected next week. Indications are that the House Committee will report out a bill substantially similar to the measure approved by the Senate Committee . House debate will. not begin until after Senate action on the bill has been completed. �- 3 - The Status of Appropriations Measures The proposed schedule of action on the part of the Appropriations Subcommittees concerning legislation of interest to the Action Council is: 1. The Housing and Urban Development Appropriation Bill for Fiscal Year 1969 passed the House on May 8th. Subcommittee hearings have been completed in the Senate. 2. The Labor-HEW-OEO Appropriation Bill has been marked up by the House Subcommittee. Expectations are that the bill will not be reported out until around mid June. It probably will not be debated on the floor of the House until after the Fourth of July. 3. The Regular Supplemental Appropriation Measure for 1968, we understand, is still held up pending receipt of the Federal Pay Supplemental. No full committee action is scheduled yet. The chances of seeing the Urgent Supplemental Conferees report out the additional $75 million for OEO Summer Programs and the additional $25 million for the year-round Head Start are growing increasingly dim. If the Congress is to approve these badly needed additional funds, efforts to persuade "swing" members from the House Appropriations Committee will need to be intensified . �