Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-02-18
Lame Duck Amendment
Faces Congress Again
BY VICTOR CHRISTGAU


Amending the Constitution of the
United States is most difficult of ac-
cOmplishment. A resolution provid-
ing for an amendment requires two
thirds majority of both Houses of con-
gress, and then the amendment must
be ratified by three-fOurths of the
states by action of the state legisla-
lures, or by conventions, whichever
the amendment provides.
Congress is about to submit another
amendment which will eliminate the
sO-called Lame Duck" session of
Congress. The Norris resolution,
which is for that purpose and which
repeatedly has passed the Senate by
enormous majorities only to meet de-
feat in the House, has again received
the approval of the House and the
Senate, and will be the next consti-
tutional amendment to be acted upon
by the states.
1t will change the beginning of the
Presidents term from March to a
date early in January. 1t will pro-
vide also for the converting of Con-
gress in January instead of in De-
cember. When the amendment was
up for consideration in the House, d
strenuous effort was made to amend
the resolution to provide for four
year, instead of two year term for
representatives in Congress.
The chief sponsor of the four year
term was Representative William B.
Bankhead of Alabama, who is the ia
Their of Tallulah Bankhead, the fam
Gus actress. He made an impassiOned
plea for the proposal. A year ago he
submitted the same amendment, but
it was ruled out on a point of order.
This time, the chairman again ruled
against him, but the House did w,ha.
it rarely dOes-over-ruled the decision
of the chair. 1t appeared for time
that the eloquence and fighting de-
termination of the Gentleman from
Alabama, had won over the House 20
adopting his proposal. However, a
series of short, eloquent and sincere
speeches against the surrender of the
voters check to policies of an ad-
ministratiOn, after two years, resulted
in the defeat of the proposal by a
large vote.
A congressman from Missouri point
ed out that the administrations of
Grant, Cleveland, Harrison, and Wood
row Wilson were greatly influenced by
the actions of the voters in the mid
term congressional elections. And,
that the change from a two to a four
year term for representatives would
be another surrender of power to the
executive branch of the government
The drift toward dictatorship in
many lands was advanced as an effec-
tive argument against further sur
render of the peoples control over
policies of an administration that
might be contrary to public sentiment
A year ago the Lame Duck" reso-
luton passed both Houses of Congress
but was defeated because of the fail
ure of the cOnferees to agree upon the
amendment, limiting the second ses-
sion Of Congress. That amendment,
known as the 'Longworth Amend
ment" was adopted by the House by
a majority of sixty-eight votes. This
year, the House reversed itself by
majority of forty-four votes. If the
amendment is ratified by the states,
the time of adjournment will be left
entirely to the action of Congress.
The defeat of legislation by filibusters
then, undoubtedly, will be a thing of
the past.