Senate Allots More Money for War in Vietnam

May 6, 1965 - The Senate passed today a special $700 million appropriation bill to finance expanding U.S. operations in Vietnam. The White House announced that President Johnson would sign it tomorrow.

The Senate vote of 88-3 completed Congressional action on the measure just two days after Johnson’s urgent request for the funds. The House of Representatives passed the bill yesterday, 408-7.

The display of bipartisanship and unusual speed was designed to show the world that Congress and the country emphatically supported the President’s policy of firmness and strength in dealing with Communist aggression. 

This was Johnson’s main purpose in asking for the appropriation Tuesday. He called then for prompt passage of the bill by “an overwhelming vote” to emphasize that “Congress and the President stand united before the world in joint determination that the independence of South Vietnam shall be preserved and the Communist attack will not succeed.”

The three Senate votes and seven House votes against the bill were cast by Democrats usually identified with the party’s liberal wing.

The opposing Senators were Wayne Morse of Oregon, Ernest Gruening of Alaska, and Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

Voting “no” in the House were Representatives George Brown Jr., Philip Burton, and Don Edwards of California, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, John Dow and William Ryan of New York, and Edith Green of Oregon.

Senators Morse and Gruening have long advocated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam. Senator Nelson objected to “the precipitous manner in which we are disposing of this matter.” He also said that if he voted for the bill, his vote might be interpreted as support for “substantial expansion of our role in Vietnam.”

In related news, a strong new force of U.S. Marines began landing south of Danang today to provide security for the construction of an important new South Vietnamese air base. Six thousand Marines and 3,000 U.S. Navy Seabees came ashore, UPI reported.

U.S. military headquarters in Saigon said the reinforcements were being provided at the request of the South Vietnamese Government “as a further step to prosecute the war against the Viet Cong.”

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