October 14, 1972

Sen approves, 61-11, on Oct 13 $250-billion ceiling on Fed spending after approving, 46-28, amendment to prohibit any spending cutbacks in long list of Govt programs; amendment, sponsored by Sen Jordan and 12 co-sponsors, will require that equal percentage reductions be made in all other Govt programs and will set maximum reduction in any program at 10%; Sen Aiken says wide margin by which Sen adopted amendment is intended to serve notice that Sen will not back down later on and accept spending ceiling without any restriction that would let Pres cut spending wherever he chooses; warns Sen will reject conf rept as unsatisfactory if conferees eliminate restrictions that Sen wrote into bill; Adm spokesmen make it clear that bill is unacceptable with Jordan amendment included; Sen Bennett says Jordan amendment is unworkable; holds list of 'uncuttable' items enumerated in amendment, plus some other 'uncuttables' not included, leave only about $75-billion in spending programs that could be reduced; notes forcing all cuts to be made in relatively small number of programs would force heavy cuts in Defense Dept, which reptdly is intention by some of antiwar Sens of both parties; list of programs which cannot be cut; Sen also adds to bill amendment sponsored by Sen McClellan that would set up permanent joint Cong com to police spending legis more closely; joint com would have authority to set over-all ceiling on spending near outset of each Cong session, based upon estimates of tax collections that could reasonably be expected during yr and upon study of econ conditions that would indicate how much budget deficit or surplus was desirable to keep econ running at relative full employment without inflation

Dem Pres candidate Sen McGovern says as part of his 7-point ethics code for Fed Govt he would ask Cong to permit Fed financing of Pres and Cong campaigns and limit individual pol contributions to $50 per person, Oct 13 speech to Seattle-King County Bar Assn, Seattle, Washington; says this would cost no more than 90 cents per yr per voter and would be 'best investment you could ever buy in protecting your own interests'

MIDNIGHT MONSTER CONCERT TONIGHT 16 Pianists. 8 Pianos. Philharmonic Hall. Advt

Sen Kennedy on Oct 13 orders 'preliminary inquiry' by Sen Judiciary Subcom on Adm Practices into Watergate bugging incident, lr to 7 other members of com; Sen sources say lr cites Kennedy's intention to issue subpoenas to force reluctant witnesses to appear and reptdly is intended to obtain consent of rest of subcom members to issuance of subpoenas

High Nixon Adm official discloses on Oct 13 that Adm reneged on tentative maritime accord with USSR 2 wks ago to bar USSR from getting added windfall out of its large purchases of Amer grain; says US move occurred because Adm saw that under present world conditions, USSR could take advantage of accord to pay Amer shippers less than prevailing rate for transporting grain; says Adm wants to avoid pol controversy similar to that which arose over grain sale; accord and events leading to its cancellation detailed