Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-04-07
Congress Aims 10 Act
On Five Major Issues
Before Taking Recess
By J. A. O'Leory

The House and Senate are getting
ready for spring drive to settle at
least five major issues and pass a
dozen annual appropriation bills be-
fore considering a summer recess
in this congressional election year.
The five big problems that still
must 60 through one or both houses
are extension of the draft law,
which expires May Is; extension of
price control, which runs out June
80; renewal of the Second War Pow
ers Act, which also dies June 30; the
veterans emergency housing bill,
and the British loan.
The Senate still has to act on all
five, starting tomorrow with the vet
Grams housing measure, to which
the Senate Banking Committee has
restored the controversial $4,000 D.
600 subsidy program to encourage
production of building materials.
The Senate bill also carries a re-
striction on speculative price, boosts
in the resale of existing houses.
House in Better Shape.
The Senate also must still take
action on II of the regular appro-
priation bills, which likewise must
pass by June 80.
The House is in better shape, hav-
ing passed the veterans housing
and Second War Powers Act ex-
tension. Its leaders hope to bring
out and pass some kind of selective
service extension by the end of this
week, and an OPA bill by the end of
next week. If that hope can be
realized, House members will be able
to go home for few days at Easter
There is little rest in sight for the
Senate, however, during the next
three months. With its freedom
of debate, no one can forecast how
long each of these major contro-
versies will take on the Senate floor.
Wage Bill Cited.
For example, the Senate spent
the better part of the last three
weeks passing a bill increasing the
minimum wage in industry from
40 to IS cents an hour, only to have
its friends predict that the bill will
never become law because of an
amendment increasing farm prices.
The fate of this bill now rests with
the House.
Under House rules the length of
general debate on a bill is fixed
IN advance and leaders can be
reasonably sure of when it will be
voted on. In the Senate, debate
usually can be limited only by
unanimous consent. The cloture
rule, by which two-thirds of the
Senate can limit debate, is rarely
resorted to and seldom adopted.
The fact that this is election
year for the entire House and one
third Of the Senate has a tendency
to add to the oratory and parlia-
mentary maneuvering on major
items of legislation.
Speed Anticipated.
The pressure of expiration dates
on most of the pending must"
bills is likely, however, to speed up
action during the next two months.
The Senate Banking Committee
has completed hearings on the Brit
lsh loan, and is scheduled to report
out that measure Wednesday. The
House Banking group, which is still
perfectlng the new Price Control
Bill, probably will wait until the
Senate has passed a British loan
measure before taking up that sub
ject, Chairman Spence of Kentucky
indicated yesterday. He said he
though that would still leave time
for the House to act on the loan
before summer recess.
The House approved Second War
Powers Act, involving the Presidents
authority to continue many war
time functions during the reconver-
sion period, including priorities, is
awaiting action by the Senate Judic-
larry Committee.
Other Important Bills.
In addition to the five major issues
already referred to, there are in the
background other important bills
that may come in for floor debate,
but which are not so certain of pas
sage before a summer recess. These
include the proposed merger of the
armed forces, and control of atomic
energy.
The general expectation is that
Congress will recess sometime in
July, but for how long remains an
open question. One prominent House
Republican said yesterday he thought
Congress should return after Labor
Day, but there undoubtedly will be
other proposals to have the recess
continue until after the November
elections, if all important business