Evening star., 1933-10-15
10Th AMENDMENT
EFFECTIVE TODAY
Revision AboIishing Lame
Duck Session Set Two
Records in Approval.
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
The twentieth amendment to the
Constitution abolishing the so-called
lame-duck session of Congress became
effective today with two unique records
in American history.
Besides changing the dates for inaug-
uration of the President and the be-
ginning of congressional sessions, the
amendment establishes a record for be-
ing the only change in the Constitution
that had the unanimous approval OF
the 48 States. The speed Of the ratid-
cation set another mark.
Sponsored by Senator Norris, Ne
braska, independent Republican, the
amendment was passed by the Senate
six times before the House had chance
to vote on it. For decade Republican
leaders in control of the House blocked
a vote on the amendment because it
provided for two independent sessions
of Congress each two years, but after
the Democrats took over that branch
in December, 1881, it was approved
Virginia First to Ratify.
The first State to ratify the amend
ment was Virginia, on March 4. 1882,
while the thirty-sixth State, Missouri,
came through on January %, 1898. AL
though the resolution passed by the
House and Senate provided that ratifica-
tion by 36 of the 48 States could be
had within seven years, three-fourths of
the States-all that are necessary
ratified it within less than a year, and
within four months more all of them
had approved it.
1t wipes out the age-old lame duck
session that used to begin on the first
Monday In December after the Fall
elections. Instead, the amendment.
first to be ratified since that granting
suffrage to women, provides that Con-
gress shall meet on January each year
and remain in session as long as it
pleases.
1t also moves up from March 4 to
January 20 the date on which Presi-
dents are inaugurated
In the last Congress during Herbert
Hoover's administration there were
nearly 200 lame ducks or members of
the House and Senate who had lost
their seats in the November elections.
Not in the history of the country had
there been as many defeated members
serving in the two branches
Norris Led Long Fight.
For many years members of the
House and Senate, under the leader
snip OF MOTIFS. 1Ougnt Tor the abOl1tlCl
Of the lame duck session. They held
that those members defeated in the No
vember elections should not pass laws
in the lame duck session that continued
during the three months. from Deem
ber to March 4, every two years.
For years the Republican House lead
ers, led by the late Speaker Nicholas
Longworth, fought the amendment on
the ground that the second session
should be limited to either three or
four months.
Longworth argued that members
would terminate the first session be-
cause of the primary and general cleo
tions in the first year, but that in the
second year they would not vote to ad-
journ Congress. thereby leaving the
legislative branch in session almost
continuously.
The amendment-cuts President Roose-
velt's term short by almost two months.
Not only that. but the weather FORE
casters predict stornier weather on
January 20 than March 4. when the
Presidents, since George Washington,
have been inaugurated.