Evening star., 1952-12-28
Republicans 10 Begin
Reorganization Of
Congress This Week
By J. A. O'Leory

the rules Wnlch permit nlllouSCer-
ing.
A bipartisan bloc of 80 Sena-
tors arranged a conference for
Tuesday morning to map cam
paign for curbing filibusters. They
viii determine then whether tot
raise the issue on the first day, or
wait until the opening formalities
are out of the way.
This is only the second time in
90 years the Republicans have
been in the majority. Their margin
of control is so thin G. o. P. lead
ers will have to be on guard con-
stantly to keep a full attendance
in Washington in order to hold
the upper hand.
Lines Tightly Drawn.
In the House the, new admin
istration starts out with 22l
members-only three more than
the 218 required for control.
There are 211 Democrats and one
Independent, with two seats
vacant that formerly were held by
Democrats. /
In the Senate. party lines are
even more tightly drawn. The
lineup there is 48 Republicans, At
Democrats and one Independent
Senator Morse of Oregon. Sena-
tor Morse has announced he will .
vote with the Republicans to
organize the Senate, but without
committing himself on the legis-
lative program thereafter.
Once organization problems are
settled, however, some con-
servative Southern Democrats
probably will vote with the Re-
publicans, as they have in recent
years, on many important issues.
Senator Taft of Ohio is ex-
pected to be chosen Majority
Floor Leader, without fight,
when Senate Republicans meet in
party conference Friday morning.
1t was reliably learned yesterday
that Senator Lyndon Johnson of
Texas will be unopposed for
Minority Leader.
Martin Due to Be Speaker.
On the House side, Republicans
and Democrats also will hold party
caucuses Friday. The Republicans
are ready to elect Representative
Martin of Massachusetts, as
Speaker. The retiring Speaker,
Representative Rayburn of Texas,
is expected to be Democratic
Leader
Even before the quorum bells .
ring Saturday, the doorkeepers of
both houses will be busy studying
photographs of 85 new Represent
atives and 16 new Senators so
that they will recognize them as
they pass in and out of the cham
berS.
Except for the possible furry
over Senate rules. the new Con-
Rress will get off, to a slow start,
waiting for President-elect Eisen-
hover to be inaugurated on
january 20.
In the meantime, President
Truman plans to submit his last
set of thee annual messages-on
the State of the Union, the Budget
and the Economic Report.
Big Issues Named.
The new Congress, however, will
be looking to the Eisenhower in
augmal address and the messages
which may come from the White
House immediately thereafter to
chart the legislative program for
the session.
The big issues of the 1853 ses-
sion are certain to include:
Government economy, to pave
the way for tax revision.
Extension or modification OF
price and wage controls, which
have an early expiration date.
Extension of the Reciprocal
Trade Agreement Act, which eX-
pires in June. /
Whether future foreign aid
funds should be confined to the
mutual defense buildup.
Revision of the Taft-Hartley
labor law.
It is safe to assume, also, that,
with the Republicans in control,
investigations will continue TO
hold much of the limelight, as
they did even under Democratic
control during the past year or
two.
AS the opening day draws near, ,
Republicans in both houses are
busy iockeying for better COM
mittee assignments, based on
seniority. /
Rules Fight Indicated.
Senator Bridges, Republican. of
New Hampshire is slated to head
the powerful Senate Appropria- ,
tions Committee, and also is in
line for the Office of president pro
tem-to preside when the Vice
President is absent.
On opening day it is customary
for the minority party in the
Senate to honor one of it's men,
bers by going through the for
mality of nominating candidate
for president pro tenn. If there
should be a roll call vote on this.l
or any other organization step,
the Republicans would need every
vote they have. including Senator
Morse. to win.
It was reported from a reliable
source yesterday. however. that
the Democrats have no desire to
try to upset Republican organiza-
ton plans.
The liberal drive to change Sen
ate rules is a different matter,
however, and may provoke a real
fight sometime this winter. If not
on opening day.
Senator Humphrey. Democrat.
of Minnesota, one of the organ
izers of the Tuesday liberal con-
ference, emphasized that there has
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