The Nome Nugget

Monday. March 28, 1949

House Kills Huge Pension Bill; Introduce Another

WASHINGTON, (AP) A still dizzy House was back on the veterans pension merry-go-round Saturday.

Rep. Rankin (D.-Miss.) stepped back to the controls Friday to introduce a limited pension bill for veterans of World War I.

Only Thursday, after the House buried his multi-billion dollar pension bill for all World War I and II servicemen, a disappointed Rankin had said no pension legislation could pass at this session.

But just a day later he bounced back with his new proposal, introduced, he said, "by request."

He said the American Legion and "many members" of the House veterans committee, of which he is chairman, had urged the new bill.

Of its prospects, Rankin declared: "I'm making no predictions."

Before his first bill got to the House, he had confidently forecast its passage by an overwhelming majority.

Rankin told the House he hoped to have his new bill up for consideration "in a short time."

Whereas the Mississippian's first bill provided $90 a month pensions at age 65 to all 18,800,000 World War I and II veterans, the second is considerably less inclusive and probably less costly.

It is limited to approximately 3,500,000 veterans of World War I, and provides for pensions of $72 at age 65, for vets whose income falls below a certain point. It also prohibits "pyramiding" of benefits from other sources, and confined pensions to honorably discharged veterans.