Evening star., 1951-05-24
The Political Mill
Congress Sure to Block
All of Fair Deal Pledges
Majority of Democrats
Opposed to Proposals
By Gould Lincoln

The 82d Congress shows every sign
OF winding up its two-year career with
out the enactment of any Of the major
Fair Deal pledges made to the voters
by President Truman in the 1948 presi-
dental campaign. The civil rights
program, with its FEPC proposal, again
Is dying on the vine. Compulsory ma
tional health insurance (known as
socialized medicine), the Brannan farm
plan, with it's production payments. and
repeal OF the Taft-Hartley labor law,
none Of them apparently are going to
be taken up for consideration. This
became even more clear when the Demo-
cratic high command in the Senate on
Tuesday began talking about q summer
recess. beginning perhaps August ! or
late in September.
Two reasons are listed for this stu.
alton. The first is that the 82d Con-
gress, though controlled by the Demo-
cratic Party, is in the majority OPP
posed to these Fair Deal proposals.
The second lies in the fact that Congress
has a great accumulation of must"
legislation to handle, much Of it for
national defense and for the prevention
of growing imitation. which still has
to be enacted into law.
Appropriation Bills Lag.
With June rapidly approaching, the
House has put through five of the major
annual appropriation bills, and has five
more to act on. The Senate has so
far not passed any of them. The bill
to increase Federal taxes, SO as to raise
some 10 billion more dollars, is still
in the House Ways and Means Commit
tee. After it passes the House 1t must
run the gantlet of Senate Finance Com
mittee consideration and then be acted
on by the Senate itself. The present
economic control law expires June 80,
and that too, is still in the committee
stage. The foreign economic and mill
tary aid bill is yet to come. It has
been rumored that the President wishes
to put the handling Of this aid under
the State Department. If an attempt
is made to do this, with Mr.. Acheson
continuing as Secretary of State, there
will be protracted fight over the
measure.
The bill to extend the life of the
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act has
passed the House and is before the Sem
ate. The measure as it stands is not the
bill the administration desires. The
House put back into the measure the
so-called peril point provision, and
also provided for an escape clause. to be
carried in future trade agreements. The
Republican, n-conServative Democrat coa-
lition, which the President has had to
meet in attempting to get through his,
legislative program, has been too strong.
Democrats Want Recess.
It is matter Of considerable interest
that the talk Of a summer recess Is COM
ing from the Democrats In Congress.
Not the Republicans. The latter may
well fall In with the idea, for a summer
recess is dear to the hearts Of all Con-
gressmen. There is the chance that the
Republicans may demand that Congress
remain in session, in view Of the war
situation. Senate Democratic Leader
Mcfarland is of the opinion that all the
must legislation can be disposed Of by
August Except the tax bill. If this
can be accomplished, then Congress
could quit until October /, while the.
Senate Finance Committee wrestled,
with the tax bill hearings and its report
on the bill. Then Congress could re-
turn and put the finishing touches on
the measure. Members Of the Finance
Committee, under such program, would
have little recess. Another plan Is to
get all the must legislation cut Of the
way, including the tax bill, by late in
September and then take recess.
This Congress has been disappoint-
ment to the administration in other
ways. Its investigating committees, in
Guiding the crime investigating commit
tee and the RFC investigating commit
tee, have dug up enough material to give
the Republicans great amount of am
munition for the 1852 campaign. The
Senate Foreign Relations and Armed
Services Committees conducting the in
quiry into the dismissal of Gen. Douglas
Macarthur from his Far Eastern COM
mands, and into the policy In the Far
East, has done its share, too, and stin
has not completed its work.
President Truman called the 80th Re-
publican controlled Congress the next
worst In history His comment On the
82d Congress will be awaited.