Evening star., 1957-04-21
THE NATIONAL SCENE
Midterm Stocktakino
Of the 85th Conqress
THE NATIONAL SCENE

Ever since the Twentieth Amend
ment to the Constitution ended
lame duck" Congresses in 1888,
Easter has been regarded as the un-
official midpofnt Of congressional
session. 1t is time for measuring
legislative accomplishment against
what remains to be done.
This year members of Congress
went home for the To-day Easter
recess on Thursday with the un-
comfortable knowledge that. upon
their return. they would for three
months be in much the same posi-
ton as the student who has
neglected his books and must cram
for final exams.
If custom is followed, soon after
they return their leaders will ex-
press hope that the sessions work
can be finished "by July"-a dead
line that subsequently will be moved
ahead to July Is. and finally. to
July 81. This year. such predic-
tions will be based more on OPP
timism than on the rate of progress
to date.
The preceding Congress. the 84th.
was not one to act in undue haste,
yet at the Easter midpoint of its
first session. the Senate had dis
posed of seven of the IA major
bills on the agenda, and the House
had taken care of six. When the
85th Congress departed on Thurs
day, however, only two of is major
legislative matters had received
final action in both houses-Presi-
dent Eisenhower's Mideast doctrine
and the routine extension of excise
and corporation tax levels.
OF the 13 major items remaining.
only one has been reported out of
committee in either the House or
Senate. On six matters. hearings
have not even begun in either body
Major unfinished business is:
Civil rights legislation, Federal
aid to school construction. state
hood for Hawaii and Alaska. deci-
sions on how much and what kind
Of foreign aid. a revision of Federal
regulation of natural gas producers.
increases in postal rates, revision of
the Taft-Hartley Act. extension of
minimum wage coverage. revision
of immigration laws, the problem
of presidential disability, changes
in lobbying and election laws, small
business legislation and United
States membership in the Organi-
zation for Trade Cooperation.
A number of relatively unirn-
portant measures have been sent
to the White House during these
first four months of the 95th Con-
gresS. Only two of these can make
any claim as being of consequence:
a bill raising the interest rate on
savings bonds and bill expanding
the borrowing authority of the
Federal National Mortgage As
sociation.
The House has passed Federal
court revision bill and an emer-
gency drought aid bill, and the
Senate has passed a bill revising
the banking laws. A corn acreage
plan was defeated in both the
House and the Senate.
Why the snail's pace? Two
reasons are readily apparent:
. President Eisenhower, unlike his
two Democratic predecessors in the
White House, has been reluctant TO
prod Congress to action in behalf
of administration bills.
. Opposition in both parties to
Mr. Eisenhower's S71.8 billion
budget has slowed action on ap-
preparation bills. creating somewhat
of a logjam behind which other
measures have backed up.
The Presidents hands of" pol
icy in dealing with Congress has
brought the comment from Senator
George Aiken Of Vermont. an Ell
senhower Republican" that Mr..
Eisenhower might be demonstrat-
ing too strict regard for the
prerogatives Of Congress"
Mr.. Eisenhower repeatedly was
told recently by several leaders of
his party in Congress that, If his
program is to become reality, he
will have to push 1t. and perhaps
even fight for it. He showed some
indication Of agreeing with this
view last week when he sent House
Speaker Sam Rayburn his first
clear and complete statement OF
his views on his budget and how II