Nation: Congress Mostly Passes

It postpones the hard decisions on spending

The Government, said Jimmy Carter, would "come to a screeching halt, and all [federal] salaries stop." Welfare payments would end, and public works projects would be suspended. Some 37.65 million Social Security checks were in the mail, but federal officials suggested that banks might not cash them.

Despite such dire—and wildly overstated—warnings, a recalcitrant Congress last week still postponed the hard decisions on budgets, taxes and deficits until after the elections. Congress did manage, before it adjourned, to pass a "continuing resolution" that will allow the...