Evening star., 1949-02-06
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FiIibuster Test
Lucas Sees Politics
Behind Move to Force
Measure to Floor
BY ChoImers M. Roberts

Senate ocrats agreed
unanimously yesterday to oppose
tomorrow a Republican move to
force an anti-fllibuster measure
to the Senate floor.
Senators from both North and
South voted to close party ranks
in order to defeat a Republican
maneuver which Majority Leader
Lucas of Illinois as much as said
was being made for political
reasons"
The party harmony, however
will end once the Republican move
is defeated. If it is, for the Senate
Rules Committee is expected to ap-
prove. probably on Wednesday, a
rules change which would permit
cutting off debate by a two-thirds
vote.
This Is the measure Republican
Senator KnoWland of California is
seeking to force to the floor tomor-
row by motion to DISCHARGE the
committee before it acts. A solid
Democratic vote would defeat the
discharge since the Democrats have
"a to AZ advantage in the Senate.
90-Minute Caucus Held.
Senator Lucas, in announcing the
party action after an hour and a
half caucus yesterday, said the
Democratic leadership will not per-
NIT ANY effort for political rea-
sons" to interfere with the order
ly business of the Senate" He
added the leadership does not "pro-
pose to turn the leadership of the
Congress over to the Republicans"
The Senate leader said, however,
he has every confidence" the Rules
Committee will approve the anti
fllibuster plan but he refused to pre-
dict when 1t might reach the Senate
floor.
He told reporters the Democrats
expect to dispose Of" the Know
land motion tomorrow or Tuesday
unless the Republicans want to
filibuster' the filibuster curb He
said there would be full debate to-
morrow and that he thought a vote
could be reached during the day. He
said Democrats will not move to
table the Knowland motion but will
vote against it.
Both Factions Happy.
This latest move in the political
skirmishing between the two parties
in the Senate over the filibuster is
sue appeared to leave members
OF both wings of the Democratic
party happy, for the moment at
least.
Senator Humphrey of Minnesota,
who favors a change in the rules.
said yesterdays caucus action "looks
fine to me-" On the other hand
the leader of the Southerners, Sem
ator Russell of Georgia, said he,
too, was satisfied because every
days delay in bringing the fill
buster curb to the floor adds more
pressure for other legislation which
might shunt it aside.
Senator Knowland, informed of
the Democrats action, said he will
be back with another discharge
motion Wednesday unless the COM
mittee acts that day, its next sched-
uled meeting day.
If the Democrats don't act" he
said, "in the words of Franklin D.
Roosevelt, we will bring it up again,
again and again."
Could Cut OFF Debate.
The Rules Committee headed by
Senator Hayden of Arizona, is ex-
pected to approve change which
would permit an end to debate on
any matter before the Senate by
a two-thirds vote, following filing
of cloture petition. At present,
the cloture method of cutting off
debate does not apply to motions
to take up bill. Hence the Senate
can not now even move to take up
a civil rights bill without facing a
filibuster.
When the Rules Committees pro-
posed change, closing this loophole
in the rules, reaches the Senate floor,
an effort is expected to be made to
apply cloture by a majority vote
Senate Majority Whip Myers of
Pennsylvania already has offered
such change but the Rules Com
mittee Is not expected to approve it.