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Show DOLLARS INTO DUST 243 new drive. All members of it were in an unenviable position. If the Democrats voted to move the bill to the floor, they were giving support to an administration pet. If the Republicans voted to hold up the bill, they were breaking with their own leadership. There was no doubt that a majority of the Rules Committee would have preferred to find a good pigeon hole for HR. 3383, and forget it until the next session. However, the logrolling was too extensive, too efficiently and thoroughly conducted, to permit that. No one could have told, of course, how many private commitments the Republican leadership made or how many Demo- crats sold out. But the fact remained - and the political lineup on the bill was strong circumstantial evidence - that enough trades were consummated so that the Rules Committee found itself with no alternative but to let the bill escape. So the crsp was cleared for debate in the House. At once the White House lieutenants, joined by influential Upper Basin senators, moved from door to door in the House Office Buildings enlisting votes. Within a few days they knew the truth: there were not enough assured votes for the bill to risk bringing it to the floor. A count of House noses disclosed that not a few mem- bers were opposed to the bill because of its cost, its in- feasibility, and the loss to the taxpayers it would inflict. Yet, there were not enough of them standing on these grounds to bring about its defeat. That would come from another contingent, the congressmen who resented the bulldozing tactics of Adams. They did not care to be driven about like sheep. |