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By JOHN BECKLER WASHINGTON (AP)—The Ken nedy administration has asked Congress for prompt action on its aid to education program as a response to the Soviet's space flight. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, D N.Y., chairman of the House Ed ucation Committee. said that President Kennedy had sent him word he would like immediate House action on his $4.7 billion education program. Powell promptly announced at a news conference he would have a bill carrying $2.4 billion in loans, grants and scholarships for colleges ready for the House floor by April 24. He said he would fol low a week later with a $2.5 bil lion measure for public elemen tary and high schools. Powell said the White House word came from Secretary of Welfare Abraham A. Ribicoff, whom he had sounded out ear lier on the advisability of a speed s up in the legislative schedule be cause of Soviet Maj. Yuri Gaga rin’s orbital flight last Wednes day. Ribicoff said he was speaking for Kennedy, Powell said. The college bill will be called up first because it will be ready first, Powell said. The secondary school measure, which is in far more trouble than the other bill, originally had been scheduled to lead off the education fight. Powell predicted House passage of both measures, but was only “hopeful” that a provision in the secondary school bill for funds for ‘teachers’ Salaries would survive. He repeated an earlier promise: to withhold his anti-segregation amendment from the bill and also expressed optimism that a fight over aiding church-related schools, could be avoided. “There is no room for region alism, or partisanship or religious ‘differences now,” he said. ‘The challenge of Russia’s cosmonaut makes it mandatory for the na tion to close ranks.” At the same time, Powell said he would ask Kennedy to veto a federal aid program that has poured nearly $2 billion into local cchools if the House defeats his other proposals. He ‘referred to the so-called “impacted area” program under ‘which federal grants are made to school districts heavily burdened by defense establishments or oth er federal installations. The Department of Health, Ed ucation and Welfare released Thursday a breakdown by _con gressional districts of the alloca tion of such funds during the 10 years of the program. It showed that scores of congressmen who voted against last year’s general education bill come from districts ‘that have benefitted from im pacted area funds. Kennedy has included in his secondary school program a pro vision continuing the impacted area funds, but on a reduced basis. Powell’s threat of a pos sible veto is based on the pos sibility the House would strike ev erything out of the general edu cation bill but the impacted area funds. On the other side of the Capi tol Friday, the Senate Education Subcommittee decided to begin writing its aid to education bill in closed door sessions starting next Wednesday. The group completed hearings on the bill before Easter. At the same time, the subcom mittee decided to postpone for at least a week hearings previously announced for Monday and Tues day on a bill to provide $350 mil lion in loans to private schools.
Newspaper Details
Biloxi Daily Herald
Biloxi, Mississippi, US
Mon, Apr 17, 1961
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
Ella W.
USA 22 Sep 2026
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