Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-15
Representation
Passage Seen
Within Week
Granting of Special
Rule Predicted by
House Leaders
BACKGROUND

Plank adopted In Democratic
platform tGDoring District SUI
trdge tDas tollo,0ed by House Ju-
dietary Committee approval OF
Summers resolution for q constt-
iutionul amendment empowering
Congress to grant District nq-
tiondl representation. Commit
tee limited proposed congress
Stondl potOer by amending
resolution to make it permissiue
representation in House, instead
OF Congress, thus preventing
representation in Senate. Yes
terday Representative Summers
asked House Rules Committee to
giue the legislation preferred
status before the House.
Confidence was expressed anew
today by House Leader Rayburn and
other congressional leaders that the
Summers resolution providing a con-
stitutional amendment empowering
Congress to grant national repre-
sentation to the District will be
given a special rule by the Rules
Committee and probably approved
within week by more than a two
thirds vote in the House
Favorable action by the House
was seen as assured in a canvass
of the Democratic whips, the organ
lzauon which ascertains party
strength in support of any major
measure. Representative Rayburn
and all of the II whips said they
have not heard any opposition to
passage Of the resolution.
Strong and probably solid" sup
port of the resolution was pledged
by Minority Leader Martin, who is
also the Republican national cam
paign manager, and by Representa-
tive Otter of Pennsylvania, chair
man of the Republican Congress
sional Committee. Both said the
Republicans will vote to pass the
Summers resolution"
Rules Unit May Meet Next Week.
The House Rules Committee is
not likely to meet until next week
to vote on the special rule for privi-
legged consideration of the Summers
resolution, as several members have
requested at least IS hours notice
because they have other business
outside of Washington demanding
their immediate attention.
After hearing Chairman Summers
of the Judiciary Committee, Repre-
sentative Guyer of Kansas, ranking
Republican member of the commit
tee, and Chairman Randolph of the
District Committee, the Rules Com
mittee yesterday postponed a vote
until the next meeting, since several
members were absent. This was
agreeable to Mr.. Summers because
those absent were among the most
loyal supporters of his resolution.
Chairman SABBATH of the rules
group said yesterday his committee
probably will not meet again until
next week
No Changes Contemplated.
Representative Summers said to-
day he had no intention of changing
his resolution to meet questions or
objections presented to the Rules
Committee yesterday.
Il do not intend to change by res
oluton," said Mr.. Summers. 1T can
be amended on the floor if the men,
bership of the House considers that
would be desirable. I am satisfied
with my resolution as it is and have
no intention of mixing it up"
representative Lawrence Lewis,
Democrat, of Colorado, who particle
pated as member of the Rules
Committee in the discussion yester-
day, said today he believes Dis
trict representation in the House
should be based upon the bona fide
of the District"
Explains His Position.
Explaining that he is maintaining
IAN open mind on the matter" Mr..
Lewis pointed out that the fact that
the Rules Committee failed to vote
on the Summers plan yesterday was
not indicative of hostility to ma
tional representation, but showed a
desire on the part of members of
that policy committee to make sure
that the Federal Government will
not lose control Of the. Nations Cap
ital
Other members of the Rules Com
mittee and of the Democratic whip
in the House whose Job
1t is to find out the sentiment of
the members on important legisla-
ton also concurred in this opinion.
The Rules Committee is the policy
and is dominated by the
party's interest in the legislation
before it. The Summers resolution
comes before it as a result of the
Democratic National Conventions