Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-09-17
President Bats
.4O4 This Year
On Legislation

EVEN bklOuBu IlC ldiLlC
duck" President with the big
gest opposition Congress in 20
years. President Eisenhower
managed to push 40.4 per cent
of his legislative program
through the first session Of the
86th Congress.
A Congressional Quarterly
analysis shows that Mr.. Eisen-
hover made 228 specific re-
quests of Congress this year
and Congress acted favorably
on 90 of them. This .404 bat
ting average was Mr.. Eisen-
hower's poorest showing ex-
cept 1857, when he batted 1863.
But in 1857 he had more Re-
publicans in Congress than in
1859, and he had just emerged
from q great victory at the
polls.
The relatively good showing
this year can be laid to Presi-
dent Eisenhower's effective use
Of the veto and the veto threat
and the assistance he received
from the new minority leaders
In the House and Senate.
Helped by Leaders
The new House G. o. p.
leader, Representative Halleck
of Indiana, is considered q
shrewd fighter in legislative
battles. And Senator Disksen
Of Illinois has won q reputa-
ton in his first year as min
ority leader as a skillful trader
and negotiator.
In addition, the President
Established what observers con-
Sidered q pleasant working re-
lationship with the Democratic
leaders in both chambers.
Faced with the veto, they more
often accommodated them
selves to the Presidents de-
sires than risked his displeas-
ure.
The Democrats control the
House, 283 to 1853. In the Sem
ate it's IS to IS. This is the
biggest majority since the 18th
Congress in 1887 came in with
331 Democrats and 80 Repub-
licans in the House and rs
Democrats and is Republicans
in the Senate.
Box Score
Here is how the Presidents
228-point program did in the
1859 Congress:
Ninety-two Eisenhower re-
quests were approved by both
House and Senate and are Ell
ther law or awaiting the PreSi-
dents signature: 40.4 per cent.
Nine requests we're passed by
either the House or Senate but
not both. They can be passed
by the other chamber next
year: SO per cent.
Twenty-four had received
some Committee action but no
floor action as yet; los per
cent.
Fifty-four requests received
no action at all but can be
acted on next year; 1877 per
cent. F
Forty-nine received unfavor-
able action, either through re-
lection in committee or on the
floor. but could be brought up
again next year; 21.5 per cent.
President Eisenhower's best
legislative score was made in
his first two years (1953-5D
with the only Republican
dominated Congress of his ad-
ministration. In 1858 he scored
1877 per cent and in 1854, CAT
per cent. In subsequent years,
with Democratic majoritieS in
control, he scored as follows
with his legislative program:
1855. 46.3 per cent; 1856, 45.7
per cent; 1857, 1863 per cent,
and 1858, 1855 per cent.
After the Democratic land
slide at the polls last Novem-
Der, President Eisenhower was
asked whether he thought the
strength of the opposition in
Congress would doom his legis-
lative program. He showed pre-
science by saying:
Not at all. I nave always
dealt with the Democratic Con-
gress in what ! thought in my
honest conviction, was good for
the country, and I think there
is a lot of them believe that
they want to do what is good
for the country. And I assure
you again that I'm taking
about a good many people in
that party"