Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-22
Dp-something Congress

The view which one takes OF the
achievements OF the 83d Congress-tIle
first in 20 years under Republican adj
ministration-will inevitably be colored by
partisan considerations. But no amount Of
partisanship can conceal the fact that this
Congress, under President Eisenhower's
leadership, has accomplished great deal
A spokesman for the White House,
noting that Congress acted on So Of "a
presidential recommendations, concludes
that the President had an $3.50 batting av-
erage. This, however, is not an especially
meaningful statistic. The thing which
counts is the effect of what was done, or
left undone, on the national welfare.
Almost at the outset of the session
Congress became embroiled in bitter fight
over the Bricker plan to restrict the Presi-
dents treatymaking power. General
Eisenhower fought hard against IL, how
ever, and, although it was close thing,
the Bricker proposal finally was beaten.
Then came the explosive McCarthy-Arnny
hearings, followed by the filibuster against
the revision Of the Atomic Energy Act.
Through it all, however. the legislative pro-
gram, upon which the President said his
party would have to stand or fall, moved
slowly but steadily ahead
When it came time to balance the leg
islative books, the entries on the credit side
were impressive. A new farm bill scrap
ping high fixed price supports in favor of
flexible system had been passed It took
great deal of political courage to pass
this bill, and it never would have been
passed had it not been for the Steadfast-
ness of the President and Secretary of Ag-
riculture Benson. Much the same thing
can be said of the new tax bill. This
measure was designed by Treasury Secre-
tary Humphrey to give effect to the Eisen-
hover philosophy of encouraging business
by reducing Government restraints. Once
again the fight was hard. But Mr. Hum
phrey, with the Presidents firm support,
won out.
These two items were the keystohes of
the new G. O. P. program. They were sup
ported, however, by such other measures
as liberalized social security benefits,
atomic energy revision, temporary debt
limit increase, the st. Lawrence seaway,
the trade act extension and compromise
housing program.
Several items appear on the debit side
-Taft-Hartley revision, Hawaiian state
hood, health reinsurance, the 18-year-old
vote, postal rate increase and Wire-tap leg
islation. The failure of Congress to act
favorably on these proposals undoubtedly
was disappointing to the President They
can hardly be described as vitality inn
portant items, however, and the President,
furthermore, is expected to renew his re-
quest for their passage in the next Con-
greSs.
The big question which remains con-
Germs the political effect which the per-
Torrance Of the 83d Congress can be ex-
pected to have. From the sidelines it
would seem that such things as the lowered
farm price supports and dividend tax re-
lief might prove to be political liabilities.
If the President and his aides have had
misgivings, however, they have managed
to conceal them Their policy has been to
push and push and push for the program,
and, to say the least, the Democrats will
never win this year by attacking a "do-
nothing Congress-"