Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-29
President Got
LESS Than Half
His PrograT1

|
For the second consecutive
year running, the Democratic
led 84th Congress gave President
Eisenhower less than half of
what he asked for.
Congressional Quarterly's Box
score showed that the President
batted .459 in the session that
adjourned July q. Congress APP
proved 1903 Of the 224 specific
land distinct legislative requests
made by the President in 1856.
This works out to 45.9 per cent.
At the end of 1855, or the first
session of the 84th. Congress had
approved So of the Presidents
I2O7 requests, or 46.3 per cent. BY
contrast, the Republican-led
Congress approved nearly 70 per
cent Of the Presidents requests
in 1858 and about IS per cent in
1854.
Not all presidential requests
are equally important. Major
proposals, however, usually in
volve a number Of separate re-
quests. Thus, CO counted nine
items in the Presidents school
construction proposal, none of
which Congress approved. On
the other hand. the President
obtained Senate approval for II
minor treaties. each a separate
BoxScore request. The net re-
suit tends to balance.
Estimates Varied
On the eve of adjournment.
Senate Democratic Leader John
son Of Texas. said the President
would get about rs per cent" of
what he wanted, while Republic
can Leader William F. Knowland
OF California. thought the Presi-
dent would have q good batting
average" COS Boxscore is non
partisan.
President Eisenhower may be
consoled by the fact that he did
about as well as the Democratic
boss of the Senate. Last Novem-
Der 81 Senator johnson proposed
a lS-point program with a
heart." COS analysis showed 90
distinct legislative items in the
johnson program, of which Con-
gress approved only IL. So the
Democratic leader batted .42S.
Both the President and SEN
ator johnson lost out in their
requests for a school program
revision of immigration laws. a.
program for depressed areas.
the Fryingpan-Arkansas recla-
nation project and the Niagara
power project. The Senator
likewise lost on the natural gas
bill and fixed 80 per cent price
supports. both of which passed
Congress only to be vetoed by
Mr.. Eisenhower.
Little Bipartisan Support
AS usual. few major presiden-
tial proposals enjoyed strong BIZ
partisan support on Capitol Hill.
Chief of these were the soil bank
program, to cut back SURPRISES
and augment farm income. and
the multi-billion dollar highway
program.
In the hauling and pulling Of
1856, the President came out on
top in fights over public housing
fixed against flexible price sup
ports and the extension of COR
porate and excise tax rates with
out an individual income tax cut.
In turn, he took a drubbing
on the mutual security program
when Congress cut his $40 bill
lion request by more than ST.
billion. And while Congress
agreed to customs simplification.
1T insisted on a Gripping re-
striction.
Politically speaking, both
parties probably lost out when
Congress failed to enact the
school construction and civil
rights programs requested by the
President. Other important Eli
senhower requests that died with
adjournment: Higher postal
rates, for which the President
had expressed a "prayerful
hope; revision of the McCarran-
Walter immigration Act and au-
thority for the United States to
join the Organization for Trade
Cooperation.
Few Unwanted Measures
Altogether, the President got
very few things he didn't want.
Among proposals actively op-
posed by the President which
failed to reach his desk were the |
so-called Bricker amendment, a \
Christmas tree veterans bene-
fits bill, Federal dam for Hells \
Canyon and a $40 million pro-
gram to build atomic power re-
actors. None got out Of Con-
gress.
AS usual, Congress postponed |
action on Statehood for Hawaii \