Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-07


Senators.
Members are privately voic
showed a "let-Uhe-H ouse-w
clean elections bill, an "all-but-
the-kitchen-Stove" constitu-
tional amendment, and a school
construction and teachers SAL
airy aid measure in 10 days.
This restiveness is unlikely
to turn into revolt. Any overt
criticism or legislative retalia-
tion attempts against avowed
or unannounced presidential
candidates in the Senate could
be squelched quickly by Speak
er Rayburn who wants Senate
Democratic Leader johnson
nominated.
The traditional House Senate
comfy" nevertheless is being
strained. The Senate's speed
and deXterity has caused va
rious House Democrats to talk
of counterattacks to aHure the
House a fair share of any
wealth of issues such as civil
rights, housing and Govern
ment spending. They don't see
why the House Democrats seek
ing reelection in their respec-
tive districts should have to
bear all the blame if major bills
are manned or killed.
Budget Trim Plans
The early February achieve
ment record" of Senate Ma
jority Leader johnson and his
fellow Democratic Senators re-
portedly has stiffened the de-
termination of some House
Appropriations mmitte e
members to trim all budget
bills. The idea is to prevent
the House from being called a
center of extravaganza if the
Senate subsequently votes for
more money.
On the other hand, House
Democrats indicate they will
not let the threat Of preSiden-
tial vetoes stop them from act
ing before the Senate does on
some spending programs. On
Tuesday, the House plans to
adopt a conference measure
providing for 500 million in
Federal money annually for 10
years to help communities
build sewage treatment facil-
tiles to curb river pollution.
Later this month the House
expects to act on a proposed
81 billion shot in the arm"
housing bill. The administra-
ton opposes both bills.
But even the Democrats
fighting to bring a civil rights
bill out of the Rules Committee
did not protest when Chairman
Smith. Democrat of Virginia.
suggested that the measure not
be sent to the House floor until
the judiciary Committee hears
Attorney General Rogers ex-
plain the Federal Court referee
proposal this week.
Civil Rights Issue
This ended any lingering
chance that the House would
pass a bill before the February
IS scheduled opening of SEN
ate debate on that subject. The
Senate thus will be obliged to
quickly put together a civil
rights bill Of its own or tack
its civil rights provisions on
some minor House bill. Mean
while, by the end of this
month the House probably will
pass its own relatively mild
civil rights bill.
An aid-to-education bill is
understood to be in the cards
for House action by March.
From all authoritative accounts
it will differ greatly from the
version passed by the Senate
last week. House Democratic
Leader Mccormack, among
others, contends that the Sen
ate provision for Federal funds
for teachers salaries has no
place in a school construction
measure. He believes it should
be considered in a separate bill.
In any event the Rules Com
mittee is firmly set against that
provision.
At the same time, Represent
alive Bailey, Democrat of West
Virginia, and other House
Democrats who have labored in
and out of season for a school
aid bill, declare they do not in
tend to be put in the position
of seeming to oppose better pay
for school teachers.
They note that Vice PreSi-
dent Nixon broke a Senate tie
vote last week to block a pro-
posed increased amount of
Federal funds for that purpose.
They site political realities"
and predict that no bill con-
tanning such a provision will be
enacted by Congress or signed
by the President this year.
Other Problems Cited
The Senate's so-called clean
election bills regulating cam
paign expenditures and apply
ing to primaries is being quiet
ly forgotten in the House,
leaders indicate. But some
House Democrats are not in
clined to forget that the Senate
Democratic leadership made
that bill its first order of bust
ness in this election year and
dumped" it on the House.
At least part of the three
pronged constitutional amend
ment resolution approved by
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