Dwight D. Eisenhower photo

Veto of Bill for the Relief of Walter H. Berry.

August 19, 1957

To the House of Representatives:

I am returning herewith, without my approval, H. R. 6961, "For the relief of Walter H. Berry."

The bill proposes payment of $1,097.30 to Mr. Berry for salary lost during his erroneous separation from the Federal service from May 10, 1947, to September 2, 1947.

Mr. Berry's separation occurred before the Act of June 1948 (Public Law 623, 80th Congress) which makes general provision for the payment of lost compensation to Federal personnel restored to duty following periods of unwarranted separation. Although no valid claim can thus be made under existing law, for reasons of equity I would be willing to approve a bill granting proper redress. The payment proposed by this bill, however, is inappropriate.

Mr. Berry at the time of his erroneous separation, received a lump sum cash payment for 477 hours of unused annual leave. Under existing law, other employees in such circumstances are required either to refund the lump sum leave payment and have the leave recredited to them or, have the amount of the lump sum payment deducted from the compensation paid for the period of separation. This employee should be accorded similar treatment.

I have, for this reason, felt obliged to withhold my approval from the bill in its present form.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Veto of Bill for the Relief of Walter H. Berry. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/233457

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