House Kills Med School Aid Bills

The House of Representatives twice this summer rejected President Truman's request for a five-year $250,000,000 program of Federal aid to medical education, and killed all hope for such a bill this session.

In mid-August, the House Commerce Committee shelved a measure to extend Federal funds to medical, dental, and nursing schools, after the bill had passed the Senate. Representative Percy Priest (D., Tenn.), a member of the committee, said that unless Congress took "emergency action," many medical schools would face financial ruin.

Two weeks later, the House Interstate Commerce Committee booted out a companion bill presented by Rep. Andrew J. Biemiller (D., Wis.), who blamed the American Medical Association for the action. It marked the third time during the present Congressional session that the House rejected aid to medical schools.