Evening star., 1948-06-21
The Eiohtieth Congress

The record of things accomplished by
the Eightieth Congress since it first as
sembled in Washington in January, 1947,
Is sufficient answer to the Presidents
contention that 1t has been the worst, or
at least next to the worst, Congress in
our history.
Actually, this first Republican Congress
in sixteen years, handicapped by the need
to accommodate itself to a President Of
another political faith, accomplished
great deal. One may not approve Of all
things that were done, and one may be
justifably critical because of some of
the things that we're left undone, but the
record Of achievement speaks for itself.
The Eighteth Congress put its best
foot forward in the field of foreign rela-
tions. For a while it looked very much
as though the constructive work of many
months was to be nulliaed by the blind
intransigence of few House members
in the closing hours of the session. But
this did not happen. The Republican
leaders, conscious no doubt of the gaping
holes that would be left in the platform
being put together at Philadelphia,
turned on the pressure and got the essen
tial things done. The manner Of doing
it was not admirable, but before the
closing gavel fell the necessary funds for
the European Recovery Program had been
provided and an adequate draft law had
been enacted. These things, added to the
steps that had been taken previously,
constitute a creditable effort to prepare
this country for the assumption of its
unprecedented peacetime responsibilities.
1t is, to say the least, far more than any
other Congress has been willing to do
except under the compulsion of actual
war.
Two accomplishments stand out in the
domestic field. One was the enactment
of the Taft-Hartley law, marking the
first time that any Congress had been
willing to deal with some of the more
fragrant abuses by organized labor. The
other was the reorganization OF the armed
forces The Eightieth Congress also re-
duced Federal taxes, but both the wis
dom and the permanency of this are
open to doubt. For at the same time
large new expenditures in the foreign
field were approved and the economy
goal in domestic matters was not reached.
The chances are that higher taxes will
have to be restored unless we are going
back to deficit financing.
The bill to repeal the oleo tax, the
Mundt bill to curb Communists and all
of the civil rights proposals fell by the
wayside. Something called housing bill
was enacted, but it falls far short OF the
t-Ellender- Wagner proposal. A dis
placed persons bill, which has been sub
jected to considerable criticism, and COM
promise farm price support bill were
squeezed through in the closing hours.
These unfinished items and the probable
need for improving some OF those that
were passed in too much haste suggest
that it may become desirable to recall
the legislators before the tentative new
meeting date in late December. II SO,
a way has been left open so that Congress
can be called back either by the President
or by the majority leaders
All things considered, the most dls-
turbing weakness shown by the Elgntletn
Congress was the unwillingness OF Re
nublican leaders in the House, including
the chairmen of certain key committees,
to accept the responsibilities Whlch Inls
Nations place in the world has imposed
on us They want to turn back when we
have to 90 forward Fortunately, wiser
prevailed and they were not per-
nitted to 20 their destructive way IN the
session Just closed. But these men, OF
most of them, will be back next year ana
thew will bear watching.