Read it and Weep
1/21/1946
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From the adoption of the Constitution, Congress has evolved different ways to implement annual Federal budgets. In 1921, Congress passed the Budget and Accounting Act, which centralized budgeting and made the President responsible for submitting an annual budget to Congress. This 1946 cartoon depicts Congress’s shocked reaction to the level of Federal spending that President Harry S. Truman proposed in the first post–World War II budget. Uneasy with the growth of Presidential power during the Great Depression and World War II, later that year Congress passed legislation that sought to regain its budgetary powers. This report was the first of its kind since 1930 during the presidency of Herbert Hoover. Truman combined the State of the Union and State of the Budget reports to form a larger article that spanned twenty-five thousand words.
This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2015.
National Archives Identifier: 6012326
Full Citation: Untitled; 1/21/1946; (C-042); Berryman Political Cartoon Collection, 1896 - 1949; Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2015, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/read-it-and-weep, May 1, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.