SIDNEY R. YATES COMMITTEES:
9TH District, ILLINOIS APPROPRIATIONS

SELECT COMMITTEE ON
SMALL, BUSINESS

Congress of the Anited States

NEWSLETTER NO. 191 House of Representatives April 8, 1957
Washington, DB. €.

Dear Friend:

The Indians had a device for punishing prisoners or tribal offenders which was known
as running the gantiet. The one to be punished was required to pass between two lines
formed by the men anc women of the tribe and he was beaten unmercifully with switches,
clubs, whips or some other pain-inflicting instrument as he ran through. I was reminded
of this form of punishment last week as I watched Congressman John Fogarty of Rhode Island
try to maneuver nis appropriations bill past the members of the economy bloc who were tak-~-
ing swipes at it. Fogarty is Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee which has juris-
diction over the funds for the Department of Labor and the Department of Health, Education
and Welfere. As chairmen, he has the task of shepherding the appropriations bill through
the Heuse, a oifficult task at best, but especially formidable at this time, for this is
no ordinary year. This is the year of the largest peace-time budget in the history of our
netion and the House is determined to beat it down to ordinary size, if it can.

Most congressren will agree that nome in the Congress knows as much about these
Departments as does Fogarty. When he makes his annual visit to the floor to explain his
bill, members Listea with rapt attention and admiration while he traces the progress which
has been made in research against the killing and crippling diseases such as cancer, multi-
ple sclerosis, heart disease, TB and the rest. There has always been a feeling that if
Fogarty said the money was needed, it was needed, and those who dared to try to hack a few
dollars avay from “ogerty's programs were indignantly rebuffed.

Bu, this time it wa: different. Even though the members liked John as much as ever,
even though this was Fogarty's bill, it still represented a portion of the President's con-
troversial $72 billion budget, and was therefore vulnerable. It made little difference that
the Appropriations Committee hed already stricken $119 million from the $2.9 billion bill.
Tt made little differcnce that the President at long last had taken a firm stand in support
of his budget. The srark for retrenchmeat struck by the President's own Secretary of the
Treasury and fanned by the volume of constituent mail, had taken flame and was now almost
as unquencheble as 2 windsvept prairie fire. When Fogarty's bill came to the floor, the
gantlet hac alreadv been formed by members with amendments designed to whip a piece from
the ball end others who supported them in the name of economy.

Amendment followed emendment. The Office of the Secretary of Labor, his Solicitor, the
Bureau of Veterans Compensation, of Labor Statistics, the Women's Bureau, the Wage and Hour
Nivision, the Food and Drug Administration, the Public Health Service -- all in quick suc-
cession suffered reductions, some large, some small. Time and again Fogarty took the floor
seexing to turn the tide, but even he was voted down. As one member put it, "if the Ten
Comisndments were in that appropriations bill, an amendment would be offered to cut them to
seven -- ard it would probably pass!" It was only when the amendment taking $1,300,000 from
the Food and Drug Administration was approved by a vote of 73-72 that the House paused,
shoox itself end decided to be more selective.

On Thurscay, efter two weeks of thrashing, the debate was ended and the House was poised
to call the roll. Four minor amendments were accepted by voice vote. Then the roll calls
began, 1h of them, a new record, for never before in the history of the Congress had the
House voted so many times in one day. Members who had voted easily for economy by voice
votes in the Committee of the Whole, changed their minds on the roll calls, and funds were
restorec for many of the agencies which had suffered slashes only a few days earlier. The
Kocd end Drug Administration vas among these, as was the Women's Bureau. The vote to cut
$50 million from the Public Health Service program for grants in aid for local sanitation
facilities and the elimination of water pollution was reversed. At 6:30 that night when the
final vote was taken, the House had trimmed the bill in a number of instances, but Fogarty
was satisfied. It was clear that he had come through the gantlet with his appropriations
bill somewhat bloodied but in the main unbroken.

Topavty mignt heve described his experience in the same way as did Mr. Jones in a story
told by Abraham Lincoln. Jones was a rather meek person and had the reputation of being
badly henpeckead. One day, when his wife was seen switching him out of the house, a friend
of his met him on the street and said: "Jones, I've always stood up for you, but I refuse
to do it any longer. Any man who quietly takes a switching from his wife deserves to be
horsewhipred.'' Jones smiied and patted his friend on the back. "Don't be offended," he
said. "Why, it hurt me hardly at all -- and you've no idea what a powerful lot of good it

rir

did for my wife:
Your friend,

SIDNEY R. YATES
Member of Congress