Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-01
THE NATIONAL SCENE
Home in a Furry

The first session Of the Demo-
cratic-controlled 85th Congress
was unusual from the outset. It
was the first Congress since l848
to be elected by the party in oppo-
sition to the one winning the pres
idency. And it was the first to
serve with a President barred by
constitutional amendment from
seeking another term.
Wheniit adjourned Friday after
the longest session since 1851. the
85th had achieved still another
distinction. After months Of hear
ings. debate. political maneuver-
ing and compromise. it passed in
its final week, the first civil rights
bill since the Reconstruction days
after the Civil War. And one of
its members, durable Senator j.
Strom Thurmond, q South Caro-
lima Democrat. set q new speech
making record when he spoke "a
hours and IS minutes against
the rights measure.
Despite q final-week furry
which also sent to the White
House legislation for $3.4 billion
in foreign aid and a bill to pro-
tect FBI files from indiscriminate
shopping by defendants in Federal
criminal cases, there was q sharp
difference Of opinion on the record
Of the 85th Congress.
President Eisenhower said 10
days ago that he was "tremen-
dously disappointed" that much
of his legislative program had
been rejected or ignored. On re-
ceiving word Friday that Congress
was about to adjourn he said
nothing to ease his judgment. In
fact, Senate y Majority Leader
johnson, the dominant figure in
Congress. asserted that no one
would be more pleased" over the
adjournment than the President.
If Mr.. Eisenhower was disap-
pointed in Congress. the feeling
was mutual-at least on the part
Of the Democratic leaders. They.
believe that the Presidents luke
warm advocacy Of several Of his
own proposals helped assure their
defeat. The major item they
mentioned was the school con-
struction bill. which lost in the
House when three Of the top
Republican leaders in that cham
ber-Representatives Arends and
Allen Of Illinois, and Halleck Of
Indiana-voted against it.
From. his point of view, the
President, Of course. had reason
to be disappointed in the treat
ment his legislative requests re-
ceived. Only rs Of FOG specific
presidential proposals were APP
proved-for q batting average OF
1859, the lowest in his five years In
ONCE, according to q Congress
sional Quarterly compilation. Mr..
Eisenhower's best year was his
first, in 1858, when Congress APP
proved 80 administration requests
out of A, for an average Of .727.
In addition to the school con-
struction bill. Eisenhower defeats
we're suffered in the approximately
IS billion worth Of SlasheS in his
budget requests, including heavy
cut in foreign aid; passage Of an
immigration bill which failed to
give citizenship to more than
$4,000 Hungarian refugees and
which fell far short Of White
House recommendations. and fall
ure to provide for United States
participation in the Organization
for Trade Cooperation.
The President. it must be point
ed out. had some sweet successes
to go along with his bitter disap-
pointments. Congress passed
legislation to implement the So
called Eisenhower Doctrine on the
Middle East, which is designed to
help curb Communist expansion
in that area. It approved
United States participation in the
new International Atomic Energy
Agency and. Of course, voted the
rights bill, which. although
considerably weaker than the one
asked by the administration, is
said to be acceptable to the White
House.