Evening star., 1954-11-09
The Political Mil
Prospect for Harmony
In Upcoming Congress
Cooperation With Executive
On Foreign Policy Likely
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
What's going to happen to the Eisen.
hover program-and to the Eisenhower
administrations the Democrats In
control Of the House Of Representatives
and. presumably, Of the Senate?
President Eisenhower has contended
that this program is in the interests Of
all the people. Much of it was put
through during the present Congress,
and on number Of important meas
ures he had substantial Democratic
support. The dilemma confronting the
Democrats when the new Congress
meets Is created by the fact that If
they help the President accomplish the
great bulk Of his program, they will.
strengthen him as a candidate for re-
election. IF, on the other hand, they
hanString his program, they run the
risk of presenting to the country
"do-nothing" record. not to mention
censure for opposing measures which
would benefit the people.
So far there has been no evidence of
coming cold war" between the Dem
ocratic Congress and the Republican
President = which Gen. Eisenhower
warned might arise If the country
turned Congress over to the Democrats,
That does not mean 1t will not happen.
But up to date, Senator Lyndon John.
son Of Texas, Democratic leader of the
Senate, has said he sees no good reason
why the Democrats and Gen. Eisen.
hover should fight over foreign policy,
foreign trade and national defense.
These are all matters of transcendinR
Importance.
At Odds on Domestic Issues.
When 1t comes to domestic issues.
the picture is not so bright: the
chances OF harmonious action by the
White House and the Congress, not
so good. Prospects for the "cold war;
and stalemate are clear. The Demo.
Gratis may undertake to change the
tax laws, enacted by the 83d Congress.
They may seek to increase appropria-
tlons beyond the recommendations of
the President. They may attempt by
legislation to tie the Administrations
hands in the handling of the country's
natural resources. They may again
seek repeal of the Taft-Hartley Labor
Act and a return to the old Wagner
LABOR Relations Act. And they may
try to go back to fixed 80 per cent
parity farm price supports.
The difficulty the Democrats face
when it comes to domestic legislation
or any other 1egislation-is apparent.
Gen. Eisenhower has the veto power.
10 override presidential veto REQUIRES
a two-thirds vote of both houses Of
Congress. With margin Of control of
two votes in the Senate-one of them
the vote of Senator Wayne Morse of
Oregon, independent-and Of only %
votes in the House, 1t is clear attempts
to override veto Of the President would
be doomed to failure.
So it looks as though Gen. Eisen-
mowers recommendations will be car.
ried out or-as he predicted-there will
be a cold war and stalemate. Much
has been said about Gen. Eisenhower's
ability to get along with Democratic
Congress. Perhaps more should be said
about how Democratic Congress can
get along with Gen. Eisenhower.
No Glee for New Dealers.
Why shouldn't a Democratic Con.
gress this particular Congress get
along with Gen. Eisenhower? Its COM
mittees will be headed, for the most
part, by conservative Democrats. The
New Dealers and their allies, the CIO
and the AFL, have nothing much to
cheer about in the recent elections.
Instead Of the sweeping victory which
they predicted, they made few gains
In either house Of Congress. They did
their best to elect John Carroll Sena-
tor in Colorado and failed. They did
their best, too, in New Jersey, for
Democratic Representative Howell, who
was running for the Senate against
Republican Clifford T. Case. They tried
hard to elect Foster Furcolo, Democrat.
over Senator Saltonstall, Republican,
IN Massachusetts. They failed in each
case. They did defeat Senator Ferguson
in Michigan with a Democratic contrac-
tor and labor official. Patrick v. Nc.
Namara. and they elected, presumably,
Richard L. Neuberger, Democrat, over
Senator Gordon in Oregon. And they
lost in their effort to re-elect Senator
Gillette, Democrat, in Iowa. The scant
gam they made in the House-a net
gain OF II seats in total of 435 House
membership-must be disappointing.
One weapon the Democrats will take
over with control of Congress is the
1nvestigative power. From what Sena-
tor johnson Of Texas said, it seems
clear they will use it. He commented
that they intend to throw a bright
light on the controversial Dixon-Yates
contract for the construction of a power
plant to provide power for the Acc.
1t seems sure they will put a halt to
Republican investigations of alleged
Democratic misdeeds, and try to dig
up something against the Eisenhower
administration. The first session of
the S4th Congress may turn out to be
lively.