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3. Recognizing the need for this legislation, the House Republican Policy Committee in June 1965 urged Congress to provide educational benefits for Vietnam veterans "as quickly as possible. Again in January 1966, the Policy Committee called for "the immediate enactment of a bill that will authorize a program of education and training for veterans of military service," and urged the Administration to support this legislation. Such a bill became law on March 3, 1966. The President, in approving the bill, said that he would sign it notwithstanding the fact that it went further than he was willing to ask for this year. The Republican-supported Veterans' Pension Act of 1966 (H.R. 17488) provides an average 5.6 percent increase in monthly pension payments to 1.8 million veterans. As early as October 1965, Republican Members of the House were calling for hearings on proposals to liberalize the pension program. When hearings were held in July 1966, an Administration spokesman testified in opposition to all of the 188 pension bills pending in the House. After rejecting Republican-sponsored amendments to liberalize the bill by increasing the income limitations that control the monthly rate of pension, the Veterans' Affairs Committee reported H.R 17488. On September 14, 1966, the House Republican Policy Committee endorsed H.R. 17488, and criticized the Johnson-Humphrey Administration for the continued opposition to legislation that would provide a much-needed cost-of-living rate increase for veterans. At the same time, they called for an increase in the income limitations of the existing pension laws. (See January 26 and September 14, 1966 Policy Committee statements.) Reorganizing Congress On July 28, 1966, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress filed its final report with Congress. This report contained a number of important recommenda- tions that would materially strengthen and modernize Congress. Concerned by the apparent decline of Congressional initiative and independence under the Johnson Administration, the Republican Policy Committee joined the Republican Members of the Joint Committee in urging the immediate consideration of the Committee recommenda- tions. A bill entitled "The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1966, H.R. 17873, it that would implement these recommendations was introduced by the ranking Republican Member of the Joint Committee. Republicans believe that if Congress is to be a more effective institution for carrying out its basic modern functions - legislative review, and representative - it must be updated. Authority that has been unwisely delegated to the executive must be regained. The continued dilution of its historic role must be stopped. However, this cannot take place until the organi- zational effectiveness and internal operation of Congress has been improved. The recommendations of the Joint Committee provide a giant step in the right direction. The Republican Members of the House of Representatives long have been interested in Congressional reform. At the outset of this session of Congress, a task force of the House Republicans on Congressional Reform and l'inority Staffing was appointed to study the matter of Congressional reform in depth. As a result of the work of this task force, a book entitled "We Propose: A Modern Congress" has been published. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this book were presented in full to the Joint Committee and many of the recommendations of the committee stemmed from the work of the task force. (See October 10, 1966 Policy Committee statement.) (more)

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    "ocrText": "3.\nRecognizing the need for this legislation, the House Republican Policy Committee\nin June 1965 urged Congress to provide educational benefits for Vietnam veterans\n\"as quickly as possible. Again in January 1966, the Policy Committee called for\n\"the immediate enactment of a bill that will authorize a program of education and\ntraining for veterans of military service,\" and urged the Administration to support\nthis legislation. Such a bill became law on March 3, 1966. The President, in\napproving the bill, said that he would sign it notwithstanding the fact that it went\nfurther than he was willing to ask for this year.\nThe Republican-supported Veterans' Pension Act of 1966 (H.R. 17488) provides an\naverage 5.6 percent increase in monthly pension payments to 1.8 million veterans.\nAs early as October 1965, Republican Members of the House were calling for hearings\non proposals to liberalize the pension program. When hearings were held in July\n1966, an Administration spokesman testified in opposition to all of the 188 pension\nbills pending in the House. After rejecting Republican-sponsored amendments to\nliberalize the bill by increasing the income limitations that control the monthly\nrate of pension, the Veterans' Affairs Committee reported H.R 17488.\nOn September 14, 1966, the House Republican Policy Committee endorsed H.R. 17488,\nand criticized the Johnson-Humphrey Administration for the continued opposition to\nlegislation that would provide a much-needed cost-of-living rate increase for\nveterans. At the same time, they called for an increase in the income limitations\nof the existing pension laws.\n(See January 26 and September 14, 1966 Policy Committee statements.)\nReorganizing Congress\nOn July 28, 1966, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress filed its\nfinal report with Congress. This report contained a number of important recommenda-\ntions that would materially strengthen and modernize Congress. Concerned by the\napparent decline of Congressional initiative and independence under the Johnson\nAdministration, the Republican Policy Committee joined the Republican Members of the\nJoint Committee in urging the immediate consideration of the Committee recommenda-\ntions. A bill entitled \"The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1966, H.R. 17873, it\nthat would implement these recommendations was introduced by the ranking Republican\nMember of the Joint Committee. Republicans believe that if Congress is to be a\nmore effective institution for carrying out its basic modern functions - legislative\nreview, and representative - it must be updated. Authority that has been unwisely\ndelegated to the executive must be regained. The continued dilution of its\nhistoric role must be stopped. However, this cannot take place until the organi-\nzational effectiveness and internal operation of Congress has been improved. The\nrecommendations of the Joint Committee provide a giant step in the right direction.\nThe Republican Members of the House of Representatives long have been interested\nin Congressional reform. At the outset of this session of Congress, a task force of\nthe House Republicans on Congressional Reform and l'inority Staffing was appointed to\nstudy the matter of Congressional reform in depth. As a result of the work of this\ntask force, a book entitled \"We Propose: A Modern Congress\" has been published.\nThe conclusions and recommendations contained in this book were presented in full\nto the Joint Committee and many of the recommendations of the committee stemmed\nfrom the work of the task force.\n(See October 10, 1966 Policy Committee statement.)\n(more)"
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