Evening star., 1954-11-13
The Political Mil
Role of Purtisun Politics
Is Key to Next Congress
Many Importunt Issues
Waiting to Be TuekIed
BY Gould Lincoln

WuttiHQ 10 Dc iuCkieo
By Gould Lincoln
The S4th Congress win come face 10
face with issues and legislation Of real
importance to the American people
when 1t convenes In January. Whether
1t can deal effectively with these prob.
lens. or whether it will turn out to be
q "do-nothing" Congress depends on
the part partisan politics plays. The
list Of subjects which should be
tackled some Of which must be tackled
includes foreign trade, Taft-Hart-
ley labor law amendments, health
aids or insurance, the draft and uni
versal military training, taxes (cor-
poration and excise), the national debt
ceiling (now $281 billion, but due to
return to $275 billion without further
action). statehood for Hawaii and
Alaska, and salary increases for Con-
gress. the judiciary and Federal en-
ployes. In addition, the Congress must
deal with national defense. foreign aid
and the issue Of public power versus
private power.
President Eisenhower viii submit his
legislative recommendation to Con-
gress soon after 1t meets. He will lay
before it, too, his budget which will
have great bearing on any proposals
for tax legislation. The expected deficit
at the close of the present fiscal year is
in the neighborhood Of IS billion. Much
depends. therefore, on how govern
mental expenditures may be pared,
and to what extent. The President
and the G. o. P. have maintained that
balanced budget must be in sight
before extensive tax reductions should
De made. II, as now expected. the
Democrats organize the Senate, Sena-
tor Harry Byrd of Virginia will become
chairman of the Senate Finance Com
mittee, which handles tax legislation.
He has been strong crusader for q
balanced budget for years.
OF pressing interest in the tax field
lie the approaching reduction of the
tax on corporations and certain re-
ductions in excise taxes. Unless action
is taken to extend these taxes as they
now stand, the corporation tax will be
reduced from So per cent to a per
cent. and various liquor, tobacco and
other excise taxes will come down..
Personal Tax Exemptions.
The Democrats will have their own
ideas regarding tax and other legisla-
ton. Indeed. If the Republicans seek
to extend the present corporation tax
and excise taxes, or If they feel that
they can afford to let the reductions
become effective, the Democrats in the
House. and some of them in the Senate,
are likely to propose that personal ex-
emptions be increased for the great mass
OF income tax payers. This Is the pro-
posal which Democrats supported during
the present Congress, when the tax bill
was before it. But the Republicans were
able to beat off this attack.
The Eisenhower administration will
seek again Taft Hartley amendments.
1t might have had salutary amendments
to the labor laws in the present Congress,
had not FEPC amendments been offered
by Senator Lehman of New York, DEM
ocrat, and Senator Ives of New York.
Republican. A result was united Dem.
ocratic front to recomnit the bill. The
Southern Democrats joined for once
with the liberal Northern and Western
Democrats on this ticklish subject OF
labor legislation. The latter still stand
for the repeal Of the Taft-Hartley Act.
The same stalemate may arise in the
coming Congress.
Foreign Trade Support.
Gen. Eisenhower will press for meas.
ures to bring about greater foreign.
trade. He will have greater support in
this drive than he has had in the pres
ent Congress. It's a matter that will
come to a showdown in any event, since
the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act
must be extended or allowed to die this
year.
In the province of medical assistance.
the President is expected to resubmit
his proposal to the present Congress.
Undoubtedly the Democrats will urge
strongly system Of compulsory health,
insurance as substitute. II they do.
a protracted struggle will arise-and.
the result may be nothing. in q field
where there is real need.
Another important subject which
Congress will not be able to dodge is
the extension or modification Of the
draft for military service. After July
l, 1855. no more men may be inducted
into the service. except those who have
been previously deferred. It has been
pretty well proven that voluntary en-
hstments will not provide the men
needed to keep up the armed services. ]
So Congress will have to do something
about It.
Decidedly. the s4th Congress should
be busy In its first session. How effec-
lively 1t works will depend upon the
measure Of cooperation the President;
receives, and the measure Of politics
which Is played on the floor and In the
corridors Of the House and Senate.