Spring of 1956, Congress passed the Treasury-Post Office department's appropriation bill which included $2,984,340,000 for the operation of the Post Office Department for the 1957 fiscal year, beginning July 1, 1956. The appropriated amount was $15,660,000 less than requested by the President in his 1957 Budget. The House of Representatives had approved a report of its Committee of Appropriations which recommended a cut of $26,100,000, and the Senate had approved a reduction of $5,220,000. The conference committee recommended an even split of the difference between the two amounts, and this compromise passed both the House and Senate on March 28, with a minimum of debate. The President signed the bill into law on April 2, 1956.
