St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-06-02
HUMPHREY ON FEPC

Yesterday on the floor of the
Senate 1 pointed out that the bill
for the National Science Founda-
ton, a bill of great import to the
future of the Nation, was passed
without even a yea-and-nay vote
IN the United States Senate, yet
there were no hearings in the
EIghty-hrst Congress. The bill en-
titled Federal Aid to Education"
a highly controversial piece of
legislation, one which has provok-
ed a great storm of criticism in
America, was passed by the
United States Senate without any
hearings in the Eighty-first Con-
gross. 1 did not hear any Senator
rise on the floor of the Senate to
say Where are the hearings"
As a matter of fact members of
both political parties, in commit
tee and out of committee, said
that in the previous hearings of
the Eightieth Congress, and in
other Congresses, we had all the
testimony that was possible to get.
Mr.. LUCAS. Mr.. President, will
the Senator yield?
Mr.. HUMPHREY. 1 must say
l want to yield to the majority
leader, but said at the beginning
that l was not going to yield, and
l desire to be fair.
We passed a school health ser
vices bill providing direct Federal
assistance to every school child in
| America, and not l minute was
spent in hearings on the bill, yet
it was passed unanimously with
less than 10 minutes of considera-
ton on the floor of the United
States Senate.
This great hue and cry about the
lack of hearings is a convenient
argument. We have hearings
when we need them. We have had
hearings galore upon FEPC legis-
lation with thousands upon thou
sands of pages of testimony. When
we see that there is no need of fur
Their hearings, because the testi-
mOny is in and the record is there
for all men to read, 1t has been
the policy of the United States
Senate to proceed with the legis-
lation. l submit that it i'll be-
hOoveS those who voted for
Federal aid to education who
voted for the school health ser
vices bill, all without any hear
ings in the Eighty-first Congress
and the school health services
bill did not even have any hearings
in the Eightieth Congress, the
Seventy-ninth, the Seventy-eighth,
or the Seventy-seventh--it i'll be-
hooves those Senators to rise in
righteous indignation and say,
This is a momentous piece of
legislation. We cannot consider
FEPC without hearings in the
Senate" We have had hearings far
beyond any need for further
hearings.
Let us take the committee re-
port, now. Had this report been
filed last year. the present debate
would still be held, the present
threat of unlimited debate would
still face us, and the opponents of
this legislation would not be one
whit happier about the bill. No
matter what kind of report might
have been made, the opposition to
this bill would be exactly as it is
at this moment, report or no re-
port. So l say that the talk about,
Where are the hearings? How
come the report was so late?" has
nothing to do with the issue. But
l may also point out that anyone
who wanted to be heard on the is
sue of fair employment practices
before a congressional committee,
could have been heard. No re-
quests to be heard were made by
individual Members of the Senate
to the House of Representatives
when the hearings were held by a
committee of that, body nor were
any such requests made to the
Senate committee.
Mr.. President, I make further
plea. Let us put aside partisan
ship, If there is any in this debate
l hape there is none, because both
political parties have made q
solemn commitment to the Ameri'
can people on this issue. My
friends from the Southern States
did not make that commitment
They are acting in good faith
But submit that those OF us WIG
did make the commitment in the
Democratic platform and those or
the opposite side of the aisle who
made it in the Republican plat
form had better come through
We had made a solemn promise e
the American people.
Now, let US face the facts; lei
us realize the need; let us under
stand that our very security as 4
nation is involved in this proposed
legislation. To pass this bill Is Il
bridge the gap between our pro
testations and our practice o.
democracy. The passage Of thii
bill would strengthen the hand
Of the United States in foreign
affairs and raise our prestg'
throughout the world. I say agar
Il