Evening star., 1954-01-08
DC. Suffrage.
Law Hearings
ArePredicted
House Committee
Moy Map Plans
At Tuesday Session
By Harold B. Rogers

suffrage Tor District residents.
He made this forecast after
listening to President Eisenhower
call on Congress yesterday to
move promptly towards enfran-
chiSement of people in the Ma
tional Capital.
Legislation for Constitutional
amendment authorizing votes
here for President and Vice
President, and for elected voting
representation in Congress. is
pending in the Judiciary Com
mittee. Mr.. Reed said three joint
resolutions for this purpose al
ready are before a subcommittee
headed by Representative Nc
Culloch. Republican. of Ohio.
Consideration Tuesday.
They will be considered along
with many other pieces of leg
islation when the full committee
meets Tuesday to set up its
agenda for hearings and action,
Mr.. Reed. Republican, of Illinois,
said.
The President in his state-of-
the -UHion message, urged Con-
greSS to take action not only on
national suffrage which he said
was long overdue" but also on
local self-government for the
Nations Capital.
The District Commissioners in
a statement issued after the
Presidents message said: I'VE
are very happy that the Presi-
dent has urged the Congress to
give the people of the District a
voice in their Government and
also that he recommends that
steps be taken for needed public
works. The President has
touched on the most important
problems facing the District
today"
The President had coupled his
recommendations for enfran-
chisement of Washington resi-
dents with the proposal that
Congress should "reviSe District
revenue measures to provide
needed public works improve
ments." This was considered a
great boost to the Districts pro-
posed new public works program.
Self-government. so-called
home rule legislation, is pend
ing before the Senate and in
the House District Committee.
National Plan Better Supported.
A sampling of congressional
reaction to the Presidents dou-
BILE proposal for both national
suffrage and home rule indi-
Gated yesterday a larger measure
of support for District votes on
the national rather than the 10
cal level.
Some lawmakers favored both,
while there were others who ia
vored national suffrage but op-
posed home rule.
The stage thus apparently was
set for action on both sides of
Capitol Hill during what may be
a comparatively short session.
Legislators hope to go home
early to campaign for the elec-
ton next November.
Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee, a proponent
of both national and local suf-
frage, said he has asked his staff
to make a study of the possibility
of granting national suffrage to
WashingtonianS without a Con-
stitutional amendment. He said
also he wanted to take second
look at the home rule bill ap-
proved by his committee and now
on the Senate calendar. In view
of the Presidents comments, he
said he will see if there is better
way to approach the suffrage
objective.
Bills Sidetracked.
A Senate-passed bill, sponsored
by Senator Case, for nom
voting delegate in the House was
tabled last session by the House
District Committee. During the
82d Congress this same commit
tee pigeonholed Senate-passed
home rule bill.
Mr.. Reed, predicting hearings
on national representation, said:
II believe residents of Washing
ton should have the right to vote.
It has always seemed to me they
should have voting representa-
ton in the House, based on the
city's population. At least they
are entitled to one"
Representative Hale, Republi-
can, of Maine, sponsor of one of
the pending resolutions for ma
tional suffrage, commented: Il
was pleased at what the Presi-
dent said. District residents are
American citizens. as patriotic as
those in other cities, intelligent
and deserving of the vote" He
hoped for public hearings and
said he would testify for his
measure.
league for Representation.
Representative league, Demo-
crata, of Texas, said: 81 am not
for complete home rule, but l do
support national representation,
and have repeatedly introduced
legislation for it,"
House Speaker Martin de-
clared the District "merited a
delegate to speak up for them. u
Chairman Simpson of the
House District Committee said
he was for national representa-
ton, and hopes for hearings on
his pending resolution to permit
District residents to vote in a
Nationwide primary for election
OF nominees for President and
Vice President in both parties.
Senator Dirksen, Republican
Of Illinois, former chairman OF
the House District Committee
reiterated his support for both
national and local suffrage. Re-