Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16
EARLY INAUGURAL PLAN
AGAIN WATTS ON HOUSE
Executive and Legislative Branches
Would Begin Functioning in January
Instead of March-Long Moot Issue.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

By ]. A. OTEARY.
TINE action of the Senate in again
passing the Norris resolution
for a constitutional amendment
Il to have the terms OF Senators
and Representatives, President
and Vice President begin in January,
two months following election, thereby
doing away with the short session OF
an old Congress, revives proposal
that has been debated from time TO
time for nearly a decade and which
gives rise to many interesting questions.
The favorable decision In the Senate
was expected, for that body had in
dorsed the change on four previous
occasions in the past. Chief interest
centers in what its fate will be In the
House, where it Is likely to be taken
UP during the regular session begin
ming in December. This same resolu-
ton was brought to vote in the House
during the last Congress, after 1t had
passed the Senate, and on that occasion
it received the support of majority OF
those voting in the lower branch, but,
being an amendment to the Constitu-
ton, it required two-thirds to pass
So, 1t failed and had to be started
over again in the Senate this year. Its
final passage depends, therefore, on
whether it can muster greater strength
in the House now than 1t did in the
last Congress.
States Must Ratify.
If it should pass the House the pro-
posed amendment would have to be
ratified by three-fourths of the States
but the author Of the resolution believes
the States would approve 1t.
One of the most interesting ques-
tions which Is argued whenever this
measure is considered is: Should a
new Congress and newly-electec
President be handed the reins of Gov
eminent by their predecessors imme-
diately following an election, or is II
better, as under the present arrange
ment, to have an interval following
election for elaboration and study OF
current problems?
Under the system as it now operates
there is long and short session Of
each Congress Except when specia
sessions are called to consider urgent
business. The short session convenes
one month after the November elections
every other year and terminates auto
matically on March 4, during which
time members defeated in November
continue to legislate.
Thus, there Is lapse OF four months
between the election and the beginning
of the terms Of new members, and Il
special session of the new Congress
is not called shortly after March 4
newly-elected members do not begir
their actual service as legislators until
the following December, IS months
after they were elected. Every fourth
year there Is the same interval of foul
months between the election and the
induction into Office of the President
and Vice President.
Ends Arbitrary Adjournment.
with q new administration beginning
in January and the new Congress con-
vening at that time the probable ef-
feet would be two sessions of about
equal length in each Congress, neither
of which would be arbitrarily required
to adjourn after three months, as Il
now the case on March every other
year.
Those who support the constitutional
amendment take the position that in the
campaign preceding an election the
main issues of legislation are threshee
out before the country, and that those
elected in November should have tbs
opportunity to begin as soon as pos
sible after election to frame the policie.
they stood for.
While it is true that the President
can call the new Congress into specia
session any time after March wher
he believes such q course necessary, Il
Is commended that such q session woulc
not have much time to legislate before
Summer had set in, and that the Sum-
mer months are not conductive to good
legislative work.
It is also emphasized by the sup
porters Of the change that the present