Evening star., 1953-01-08
Senate Liberals Lose
Fi|ibuster Fight, but
Plan New Assault
By J. A. oLeory

Oy - SNs ~ @S0ty
Senate liberals will renew later
IN the session the fight they lost
yesterday to tighten the rules
against filibustering.
On the first roll call of the
new year. the Senate voted, 70
to 81. to table motion by Sen
ator Anderson, Democrat. of New
Mexico, which would have opened
up the entire rule book to i'm
mediate revision.
Many Senators voted to side
track the move because they
feared it would have wiped out
the 163-year-old doctrine that
the Senate is a continuing body
and does not have to adopt new
rules at the start Of each Con-
gress.
Twenty-nine Democrats lined
up with Al Republicans to block
the move. Supporting the liberal
contention that the Senate has
a right to review it's rules at the
opening of a new Congress were
Is Democrats. 5 Republicans
and / independent. It was a de-
cisive victory for Senator Taft
Of Ohio in his first test as ma
jority leader.
Some Changes Favored.
A substantial number of Re-
publicans who voted against the
Anderson move favor some
changes to make it easier to
break a f1libuster, provided they
are brought up as amendments
to the existing rules.
Senator Jenner of Indiana,
who will be the new Republican
Chairman of the Rules Commit
tee, already has introduced one
rule change, and there will be
a variety Of others.
The present rule requires 81
votes-two-thirds of the entire
Senate-to close debate. There
will be bedate later over alter
native proposals to make this
tWo-thirds of those present and |
voting. or 40. majority of the |
entire, Senate.
Civil Rights Bills Sought.
The big obstacle to these later |
moves will be the provision now
in the rules that no debate lin
1tation can be applied. even by
81 Senators, to a resolution
amending the rules.
The advocates of a stronger
rule against filibusters are in
terested mainly in clearing the
path for civil rights bills. against
which the filibuster has been
used most frequently in recent
years.
Senator Smith of New Jersey,
slated by the Republicans to !
head the Labor Committee. told |
the Senate yesterday he will try |
to get q civil rights bill out of |
his committee at this session.
The fair employment practice
bills usually are handled by that |
committee.
Eisenhower Status Argued.
Senator Douglas, Democrat, OF |
Illinois, member OF the anti |
f1libuster group, said yesterdays
fight was not in vain. Senator
Douglas argued that use of a
motion to table by the majority |
was a tacit admission the move |
to adopt new rules at the start |
of a session was not out of order. |
He said this precedent could be
used to repeat the effort when
the next Congress assemblies in
1855.
In the closing minutes of de-
bate. yesterday Senator Neely, |
Democrat, of West Virginia, as |
serted that President elect |
Eisenhower is the "only man on i
earth" who could persuade the
majority to get behind a rules |
change. He appealed to some
one on the Republican side to |
communicate with the general |
and get him behind the move.
Senator Knowland. Repub-
lican, of California. replied that |
Gen. Eisenhower understands
the clear distinction the Con-
stitution draws between the legis-
lative and executive branches
of the Government. The Cali
fornian said Democrats may I
have become accustomed to !
being rubber stamps for the
White House. but Gen. Eisen-
hover understands that Senate
rules arc the Senate'S business. |