Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-23
The Political Mill
Congress Still Logging
Far Behind Schedule
1t Hos Accomplished Little
In Way Of VitoI Legislation
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Congress. particularly the Repub-
hcan members, must pull I'D its voting
socks. It has been in session two and
half months and little has been finally
accomplished on the Eisenhower "dy-
manic and progressive program" which
has been laid before Congress by the
President. The desire of the Repub-
lican leaders is to have final adjourn
ment Of Congress by the end Of July,
four months and week hence. Take a
look at what has been done and what
remains for consideration and action.
The Senate has passed the st. Law
renee Seaway bill, and the House has
passed an omnibus tax revision bill and
bill extending some of the excise
taxes and reducing others. The House
bills, but at least eight more are still
to be handled. including the Defense
Department bill, the Agriculture bill.
the foreign aid bill and couple of
independent Offices bills. The Senate so
far has only put through three supple
mentary appropriation bills.
No Action.
Important measures which have re-
ceived no action whatever by either
house to date are amendments to the
Taft-Hartley Labor Act, bill extending
the coverage Of the social security laws,
a farm bill, bill dealing with the
reciprocal trade agreements act and
the tariff duties The Senate has had
under consideration the bills for Ha-
waiian and Alaskan statehood, joined
together by vote of the Senate in
move which imperils final action on
either or both of the statehood pro-
posalS.
What the Senate does with the two
tax bills it has received from the House
will have major effect on the financial
position of the Federal Government.
In the House. the administration lead
ers were able to kill, by narrow vote.
a proposal to increase personal income
tax exemptions by SLOGAN increase
which would deprive the Government
of an estimated $2.5 billion revenue.
The excise bill as passed by the House
knocks $1.billion off the revenue.
Under the leadership of Representa-
tive John Taber of New York. chairman
of the Appropriations Committee, the
House is pairing the appropriation bills,
cutting and slicing here and there, in
an effort to reduce Government spend
ing. Some savings will be made, below
the Eisenhower estimates-but nothing
like the big slaShes which the Repub-
lican Congress made in the Truman
estimates last year.
The House Labor Committee expects
a Taft-Hartley amendment bill will be
reported to the House by the end of this
month, and Chairman Smith of the
Senate Labor Committee has told Re-
publican Leader Knowland he hopes to
have TIL bill on the Senate calendar
within month. The House Committee
on Agriculture is still to report farm
bill. The Ways and Means Committee
has still to start hearings on social
security bill, but will soon. The House
is putting Federal housing bill on it's
calendar. Nothing has been done yet
about foreign trade bills-awaiting a
message from President Eisenhower on
the Randall Commission report which
is to be sent to Congress next week.
Fierce Contests Seen.
Much of this legislation and some of
the appropriation bills will bring fierce
contests in either one or both houses of
Congress. The reciprocal trade agree
ments legislation is case in point. The
present act expires June IL unless re-
newed. Involved is demand by many
American producers for high tariff pro-
lection, and by others for freer trade.
So far the President has received no
devastating blows from Congress, ex-
cept the proposal to cut excise taxes
by billion dollars, and that may be
absorbed without too great difficulty,
provided no further tax cuts are made.
The President. however, has still to
meet Congress in his recommendation
for flexible farm price supports as
against rigid price supports that now
exist. He has still to get through his
proposals for continued foreign aid.
though he will have considerable BIZ
partisan support there. Also, it appears
certain he will have his way on national
defense appropriations, although some
Democrats are charging the country is
being shortchanged on defense.
Anyway you look at it, the congress
sional leadership must speed up. Any
way you look at it, the Republicans in
Congress must show greater cohesion
if the Eisenhower program is to come
near being accomplished in legislative
form. If there is no acceleration. either
Congress will have to stay here most of
the summer-when it wants to be home
campaigning-or much of the Eisen-
hover program will be sidetracked.
Defeat or sidetracking of important
Eisenhower proposals will leave the Re-
publicans handicapped in a congress
sional campaign of vast Importance to
the President for the last two years Of
his present term.