Evening star., 1945-01-28
D. {. Bills
Await Action Of
House Groups
Four Committees
To Reorgonize at
Sessions This Week
By DON S. WARREN

-Four House committees are Sched-
uled to hold organization meetings
early this week and chart generally
programs for consideration of long
lists Of bills on their calendars, in
cluding many concerning District
problems.
Among the more important meas
sures awaiting decisions on refer
ence to subcommittee or hearings
are the Sumners-Capper joint reso-
luton for constitutional amend
ment to empower Congress to grant
representation in Congress to Dis
trict residents: the bill authorizing
construction of twin bridges over
the Potomac to replace Highway
Bridge; nine measures dealing with
fair employment practices, and a
proposal for reorganization of the
Board of Public Welfare.
The national representation reso-
luton is on the calendar of the
House Judiciary Committee, which
is to meet Tuesday morning at the
call of Chairman Summers to plan
the committees immediate program.
This group also has before it bills
for creation of positions of public
defender in the courts of the Dis
trict and the States, and the Hobbs
bill to permit sound recording of
trial proceedings in District Court
for use on appeal.
Meeting Slated Tomorrow.
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee has scheduled
an executive session of this group
for tmorrow morning primarily for
extensive reorganization of its
standing subcommittee whose
ranks were disrupted by the trans
fer of six veteran members to other
House committees.
There now are no Democratic
members on the National Defense
Subcommittee, due to the trans
fers of Representatives Russell Of
Texas, D'Alesandro of Maryland
and Lesinski of Michigan from the
committee. Mr.. D'Alesandro also
headed the Subcommittee on Pub
lie Health and Streets and Traffic.
The present ranking majority mem
bers on these subcommittee are.
respectively, Representatives Nc
MILAN OF South Carolina and Muir
ply of Pennsylvania.
Under consideration is sugges-
ton that Representative Hebert,
Democrat, of Louisiana, chairman
of the Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee,
give up that post and become head
of the streets and traffic group.
Mr. Murphy, now ranking majority
member on the latter committee,
would head the Fiscal Affairs Sub
committee under this plan. 1t is
the policy of the committee to give
first choice, when Craftsmanship
is vacant, to the ranking member.
Two Chairmanships Vacant.
Due to the loss to the committee
of Representatives Russell and Le-
sinskl, the chairmanshipS Of the
Subcommittees on Education and on
Insurance and Banking also are
vacant. The ranking majority mem
ber on both these groups is Repre-
sentative Feighan, Democrat, of
Ohio
Chairman Norton of the House
Labor Committee has scheduled an
organization meeting of that group
Tuesday. Among bills on its CAL
endar are the group on fair employ
ment practices.
A subcommittee of the House
Committee on Interstate and For
eign Commerce may issue a prompt
call for public hearings on the Po-
tomac River twin briige bill, it was
indicated yesterday. The full COM
mittee is to meet for organization
Tuesday at the call of Chairman
Lea. Representative Chapman,
Democrat, of Kentucky is slated to
be renamed chairman of its sub
committees, a post he has held for
decade.
This subcommittee IS to handle
the proposals for replacing Highway
Bridge with twin spans of four
lanes each costing up to $4,000
This plan, backed by the Commits
sioners and the Public Roads Ad-
ministration, is opposed by Interior
Secretary Ickes and the Park ans
Planning Commission, advocates of
single span of six lanes.
Mr.. Chapman tentatively has
planned to start hearings this week,
possibly Wednesday, if arrange
ments can be concluded in time.