Senator from Vermont

MY second term in the Senate began with assignments which I retained for the remaining six years on three committees: Armed Services, Finance, and Joint Economic as it was now called. I had transferred from Civil Service to Rules and Administration in '51, and thence to Finance in '52. In those years the latter committee was considered by many to be the leading one of the Senate in its membership, its teamwork, its thorough consideration of complicated legislation (such as that relating to taxation) and the effectiveness of its staff work. It alternated in chairmanship between Senators George of Georgia and Millikin of Colorado, depending on whether the Senate was Democratic or Republican. I shifted to this committee at the urgent suggestion of Senator Millikin.

My other shift was in 1951 from Banking and Currency to Armed Services. I felt a special competence and a growing interest in defense problems and wanted to be tied in with them more closely.

These two committees faced the major problems of the budget. In Finance we raised the money by taxes and (in appearance) controlled borrowing by setting a debt limit. In Armed Services we had a major hand in spending the money we raised. However, the actual control lay with the Armed Services Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, to which I was soon appointed.

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