Statement About Senate Action Sustaining the Vocational Rehabilitation Bill Veto

THE ACTION of the Senate in voting to sustain my veto of the first budget-breaking spending bill of 1973 is a resounding victory for the American taxpayer.

If passed into law, the excessive and unwise Rehabilitation Act of 1972 which the Senate has now helped defeat would have opened the dikes to a flood of additional overspending bills. These bills could have exceeded our budgets by as much as $50 billion between now and 1975. Americas consumers, wage earners, and taxpayers would be forced to foot the bill for that spending spree, in the form of a heavy tax increase or a new surge of inflation.

But now, because enough Senators had enough courage to stand up against the big spenders in defense of the average American's pocketbook, the tide in this battle of the budget is running in the people's favor.

I hope that millions of Americans will express their thanks and their support to those Senators and Congressmen who are holding the line against runaway spending. There will be other tough decisions to make before this battle is won, and as we face each test, I look forward to continued cooperation with this outstanding group of responsible legislators who voted to sustain my veto.