Record of the 80th Congress (January-July, 1947)

Report Outline
Major Legislation Adopted at 1948 Session
Government Finances
Terminations and Extensions of War Controls
Machinery of Government
Labor, Farm and Business Measures
Social Welfare and Public Improvements
National Defense and Veteran Legislation
Foreign Relations
Constitutional, Political and Electoral Questions
Special Focus

Major Legislation Adopted at 1948 Session

Leading measures adopted by the new Republican Congress at its first session were the Labor-Management Relations Act, designed to check labor abuses and reduce the dangers of national paralysis strikes, and the Greek-Turkish Aid Act, designed to counter Soviet expansion on the continent of Europe. The European rehabilitation plan of Secretary of State Marshall was not submitted to Congress at the January-July session; a special session in the autumn to authorize the plan is now deemed unlikely.

Two-thirds majorities put the Labor-Management Relations Act on the statute books without the President's signature but the Republican plan for a $4 billion cut in personal income taxes was blocked by Truman's exercise of the veto power. Another principal Republican objective for the 1947 session—a slash of $4.5 billion to $6 billion in the cost of the federal government—fell far short of realization. This was due in part to resistance to economies at home and the need for heavy expenditures abroad; in part to the increased tension in relations with Russia, which prevented any deep cuts in national defense appropriations.

Congressional acceptance of the Greek-Turkish aid program was the most notable administration success of the session. Legislative-Executive cooperation on questions of foreign policy was maintained, in general, although it showed signs of weakening toward the end. Several measures in this field which were strongly urged by the President and Secretary of State Marshall failed to win final approval by Congress.