Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-28
Senate Drives toHaIt
Bill FiIibus+er
Both Parties
Seek Action
On Measure
By ROBERT X. WALSH
Star Staff Writer

The Senate had trouble get
ting a quorum today for a rare
Saturday session which leaders
hoped to keep going into the
night in an effort to weaken
a filibuster on the communica-,
tons satellite bill.
Converting at 10 am, two
hours earlier than usual, only
20 Senators answered the first
quorum call. On motion of
Assistant Democratic Leader
Humphrey, Vice President
johnson directed the sergeant
at arms to round up missing
members.
Only 48 of the necessary so
or more had showed up by
early afternoon.
The pending business when
the Senate recessed at 10
o'clock last night was a motion
by Democratic Leader Mans
field to bring up the bill for
establishment of a corporation
to operate United States par
ticipation in a worldwide COM
munications satellite system.
Liberals Determined
The corporation would be
Government-regulated but half
of it's stock would be sold to
companies in the communica-
tons industry and the other
half to the general public. A
similar bill supported by the
administration was passed by
the House, 354 to 8. on May 3.
A small but determined group
of Democratic liberals was
ready to resume talking at
length today and for many days
to come if necessary to block
action on the bill.
Senators Neuberger of Oregon
and Gore of Tennessee planned
to carry most of the Oratorical
burden today. Like Senator
Morse, Democrat of oregon.
who held the floor most of yes
terday, they sought to prevent
leaders from taking up the bill
at all.
He and other opponents at
tackled it as a give away" and
a move toward private monop-
oily in the new satellite field.
Plan to Run Late
Senator Humphrey told re-,
porters earlier today that hel
and Senator Mansfield WOULD
do everything possible to keep
the Senate in session until 10
or IL o'clock tonight. He con-
ceded, however, that the lead
ers might have difficulty in
maintaining a quorum through
out the day and evening.
Several other Senators sup
porting the bill criticized what
they described as a filibusterl
attempt by fewer than is DEM
ocratic liberals. Senator Robert
son, Democrat of Virginia, who
sometimes has engaged in fill
busters on civil rights and other
measures, told reporters that
mo basic issue was involved
in the talkathon against the
satellite bill.
He complained that an ex-
tended filibuSter into next week,
would prevent his Judiciary
subcommittee from meeting
next Thursday to hear Episco-
pal Bishop James A. Pike of
California testify on a proposed
constitutional amendment to
circumvent the Supreme Court
decision against reading Of Of
ficial prayers in public schools.
Bipartisan Support
An overwhelming bipartisan
majority is believed ready to.
pass the measure if it can be,
brought to a vote, but informed
sources have estimated it may
take two weeks or more to wear
down the opposition.
In announcing his determin-
alton to lengthen the daily SeS-l
Sions of the Senate to get &C.
ton, Senator Mansfield denied
that the bill is a "give-away"
and said it has the approval
of all major agencies of the
Government.
The opponents ended one
phase of their filibuster yes
terday, after using up two days
in a parliamentary maneuver
See SATELLITE, Page A-3