Evening star., 1926-12-12
SHORT SESSION EVILS
ATTACKED BY PRESIDENT
Proposal for Biennial Appropriations
Designed to Leave Time for Other
Vital Legislation.

Senator Norris has suggested in the
past that if the House did not act
upon his resolution and he could ma
a few supporters to help MN, ne
would f1libuster against appropriation
bills sent from the House and pre-
vent votes on them until his resoiu'
ton received consideration In the
House. II he should undertake such
a course at the present session. he
would give the House leaders some
thing to think about. At present they
are intent upon preventing a speclai
session Of the Seventieth Congress
next Spring. They want TO get
through March 4 and adjourn Con-
gress until December. 1927. II Mr.
Norris undertakes to throw monKeN
wrench into this machinery, II may
make a difference.
The Norris resolution, in amended
form. has been favorably reported to
the House by the House committee on
elections Of President, Vice President
and Representatives In Congress.
REPRESENTATIVE Hays B. White. Re
publican. Of Kansas, is chairman OF
that committee and he insists that ne
will do all he can to get faVoraple
action on the resolution at this ses-
sion. He has been put off, however,
so often by the Republican leadership
Of the House in the past IN regard 70
this matter that he has doubts as TO-
the success of his attempts now.
Under the Norris resolution, as re-
norted to the House, there would pe
no short sessions of Congress. Con
eress would meet in regular session
each wear on January q, ana the SEES
sions would run as long as there was
business which the Members desired
to transact. Furthermore, the newly
elected Congress would come into pc
Ing the January 4 after its eiection
and NOT wait for from to IL montns
before taking up its duties as II Goes
under the present system, depenoing
upon whether q special session Is
called or not.
Begin Duties i'm January.
rynder It the newly elected Presl-
Hent and Vice President would enter
nnon their duties January "a follow
ina their elections, instead OF wait
ing until March 4. There wouio pe
No session of Congress in which men
,.,ho had heen defeated in the elections
would continue to legislate. as tney
do now in the "short" session.
IF there were a failure to elect
President and Vice President tnrougn
the electoral college and the eiection
were thrown into the House Lor
President, and into the senate Ior
11ica President. it would be the new
Congress that would make the choice
and NOT the old, as the Constitution
now provides. IF the House ever gets
around to; passing the Norris resolu-
tion it must 20 to the States for rati-
fication. as all constitutional amend
nents do. and must be ratified by 80
states before it becomes effective.
There IS nothing really antagon1s.
tic between the Norris constitutional
a Amendment and the Presidents plan
for biennial appropriations. Inc
Presidents plan could be adopted ana
achieve much the same END IL now
seeks, after the Norris amendment
to the Constitution has been adopted.
The reforms which the Norris
amendment propose can be accom-
plished only through a constitutional
amendment. The Presidents plan OF
biennial appropriations requires no
constitutional amendment, but merely
a change in the system of appropriat-
ins by law. II the Presidents plan
should be adopted, or the Norris con-
stitutional amendment, there would
be no bar to the adoption Of the
other.
Could Supplement- FunuS.
II the Presidents plan were adopt
ed. and need should arise for addi-
tional appropriations after the bi-
ennial bills had been passed, supple
mental estimates could be submitted
and additional appropriations made
by the Congress. But such measures
would require comparatively little
labor on the part of Congress.
On the other hand, If the appro-
priaticns should be somewhat in ex.
cess Of the actual amount required
to be expended, there is no law which
compels the expenditure of the whole
sum. The part needed could be COW
cred back into the Treasury. There
are watch dogs of the Treasury" In
the executive branch and in the con-
troller generals Office as well as in
the halls of Congress.
While the Presidents two-year ap-
preparation plan might work to the
advantage Of the counry and the
Government machine, there are re-
forms accomplished in the Norris
constitutional amendment which are
wise and far reaching.