Evening star., 1949-08-27
The Political Mill
Capitol Hill Wonders:
Who Is Outwitting Whom?
Congress Continues Sessions With No
Intention of Voting Truman Program
By Gould Lincoln

The incredible situation which has de-
veloped on Capitol Hill raises question:
"Is the President making a monkey of Con-
gress, or Is Congress making a monkey OF
the President?" The President insists the
Congress remain in session and put through
q long program of fair deal" legislation.
The Congress continues in session-but with
out any intention Of enacting the Presidents
program.
This is the slst Congress. Democratic
Congress. 1t is not the 80th Republican
Congress. which Mr.. Truman characterized
as "do-nothing Congress and the worst
Congress on record except one"
The Democratic leadership in Congress has
sought to carry out the Presidents wishes
which is the main reason that today there
still remain seven huge appropriation bills
which should have been put through before
June 80, the close of the last fiscal year.
It Is the main reason that the reciprocal
trade agreements bill-to continue the trade
agreements system-still hangs fire. 1t is
the main reason that the North Atlantic
Security Treaty was delayed so long in the
Senate, with the appropriations for arms
aid to Western Europe still further delayed.
Valuable Weeks Lost
Instead of driving ahead with the appro-
priations measures and other bills that were
essential and could get through, the admin
istration demanded that Congress do some
thing about two of the most controversial
items on the Presidents program-civil
rights and repeal of the Taft-Hartley labor
law. Valuable weeks and months early in tho
present session were given to the considera-
ton Of these matters-When it was clear
from the start that Congress was not going
to do what the President wanted.
The President wanted many other things
like compulsory health insurance, an in.
crease in taxes all kinds of controls. includ-
ing prices and wages-which have never
even raised their heads in either house OF
Congress. Nor will they at the present
session even if it runs to Christmas. Yet
Mr.. Truman, in so-called hell-raising
speech to the Democratic National Com
mittee Wednesday night. predicted that all
of the program would eventually be enacted
into law. It almost seems he must have been
forecasting for the 82d Congress, which is
still to be elected He blamed, of course. the
black Republicans for all troubles his pro-
gram has ncountered-although the Repub-
licans are way in the minority in the House.
and more moderately so in the Senate.
The situation has deteriorated to the degree
that the House and Senate are scarcely on
speaking terms, and neither one Of those
bodies cares to speak to the President. The
House, having been turned down when 1t
asked the Senate, to agree to a resolution
authorizing recess Of the House "a vaca-
ton for its members) for the next three
weeks, is taking French leave. It's members.
including Democratic and Republican lead
ers have gone away. A handful remains in
Washington to 60 through the formality Of
meeting every three days and adjourning,
with no business to be brought up.
Rifle still Hanping Fire
Among the appropriation bills which still
hang fire are the big $4,000, 100000 military
establishment bill. the second-year ECA bill.
the so-called civil functions bill Crivers and
harbors and flood controD, and the Interior
Department bill. The House has left town
after putting through . resolution to con-
tinue the old appropriations until October l.
There is suspicion that, the President is
holding onto Congress because he hopes to
make its failures an issue In the congressional
campaign next year-that he plans to go out
and demand more and better Truman Demo-
Gratis in the House and Senate. But the
catch lies in the uncertainty whether Mr..
Trumans own failures to make good on the
promises he made so many groups during the
1948 campaign may rise up to plague him.
The administration has to face the fact
it Is now on deficit spending basis-not.
withstanding high taxes-and that 1t con-
tinues to demand of Congress more and
new programs for more money, at q time
when the people again are beginning to be
economy minded The one bright spot lies in
the unprecedented action Of Secretary Of
Defense Louis johnson, who has decreed the
elimination Of 145, 900 civilian workers from
the Army. Navy and Air Force rolls. This
means saving of hundreds of millions Of
dollars. But II the administration has its
way all this saving will be expended for
other things.