Work Done

Last week the House:

P: Passed and sent to the Senate a bill permitting the Navy to buy or build 59 auxiliary vessels; total tonnage, 550,000; total authorization, about $300,000,000.

P: Received a letter from President Roosevelt urging enactment of a bill providing for condemnation of rights of way across ten States which would supply Middle Atlantic refineries with crude oil for finished petroleum products. Purpose of the bill: to relieve pressure on the railroads. The Atlantic Coast's congested defense areas now depend for their petroleum on tankers plying between the Gulf Coast and Middle Atlantic ports. When the ships are moved into transocean lanes, the railroads must supply the oil. Therefore, argued Mr. Roosevelt, build the pipelines.

P: Passed and sent to the White House a bill authorizing the training of Army enlisted men as airplane pilots.

P: Adopted and sent to the White House a conference report on the Treasury-Post Office Department Appropriation Bill, totaling $1,147,624,384; down $2,515,928 from the 1940-41 appropriation.

Last week the Senate:

P: Heard Vice President Henry Agard Wallace cast his first vote. Two months ago Wallace was at lunch when the Senate tie-voted, thus killing an amendment which would have permitted Argentine canned beef (and hemisphere good will) to enter the U.S. Religiously Mr. Wallace has sat through hours of dull sessions ever since, aching to get even. Last week his moment came. A "comma amendment" (meaning "minor") had been overlooked in hasty consideration of an appropriation bill. Mr. Wallace called for the ayes and nays. In the sleepy Senate no one answered. Like a flash the Vice President declared the vote a tie and bellowed: "The Vice President votes aye and the amendment is agreed to."

P: Passed the $279,416,517 State-Justice-Commerce Department Appropriation Bill, up $36,313,318 from the 1940-41 appropriation.

P: Confirmed the nomination of ex-Senator, ex-White House Assistant Sherman Minton as judge of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Salary: $12,500.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.