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JOHN W. GARDNER
CHAIRMAN
1819 H STREET, N. W.
THE URBAN COALITION ACTION COUNCIL
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006 May 24, 1968
FROM:
WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT
(Current as of May 23, 1968)
The Staff
The Status of Substantive Legislation
” TELEPHONE; 202 293-
The Emergency Employment and Training Act of 1968
Senate hearings will have been completed as of Friday,
May 24.
The Subcommittee is expected to start mark-up sessions
next week. 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 reevaluated.
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 bills 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. Several
groups in favor of the legislation, including the Farmers'
1530 Se)
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
is scheduled to go into Executive Session for three days
beginning Monday, May 27, and may decide to report out
the MDTA bill alone at that time. ‘
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 revenue bond financing provision.
Majority Leader Carl Albert has announced that the Conference
Report will not be debated on the floor of the House until
some time after Memorial Day. When the Conference Report
is debated, no amendments will be permitted -- the House
must vote the report up or down.
However, Representative Burke of Massachusetts, a member
of the House Ways and Means Committee, will seek to amend
the Conference Committee bill on Wednesday, May 29, before
it is brought to the floor for final action by offering a
motion instructing the House Conferees to insist that spending
cuts be held to the $4 billion which President Johnson
has said is acceptable.
The Burke motion deserves Action Council support.
Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968
Senate
The Senate has completed hearings on the measure
and has filed a clean bill, S.3497. Debate was scheduled
to begin on Thursday, May 23.
While the bill apparently enjoys generally favorable
support in the Senate, spending issues are certain to be
raised by more conservative members. The Administration
will need all possible resources to sustain the Banking
and Currency Committee recommendations and pass the bill
substantially as reported out.
House
The Housing Subcommittee of the House Banking and
Currency Committee began mark-up of its version of the bill
on Tuesday, May 21. Mark-up sessions are expected to be
completed by the middle of 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.
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 8. Subcommittee
hearings have been completed in the Senate.
2. The Labor-HEW-OEO Appropriation Bill is still in mark-up
in 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.
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.