Evening star., 1963-09-02
By ROBERT X. WALSH
Star Staff Writer

Dor Day observance today is a
schedule calling for no busi-
ness at token sessions this
week and very little work for
next week.
Democratic leaders defend
the leisurely pace and legisla-
tive production of the House
since January. They concede
the bulk of the activity has
been in the committees, which
as far back as April began
turning out major bills for
House consideration.
Factors Cited
The fact that the House has
not yet considered many of
those committee-recommended
bills and probably will not do
so in the near future, If at all,
is attributed to these main
factors:
Practical certainty that some
would be defeated If put to a
roll call in the House at this
time.
Congressional leadership
strategy to delay action on
several until the House passes
a tax bill and civil rights
legislation.
Reluctance or refusal of the
House Rules Committee to
clear some for House action.
Bargaining Seen
A possibility that a few of
the bills might be used for
bargaining purposes in event
Of threatened stalemate be-
tween House and Senate or
between House Democrats and
Republicans later this year in
the final stages Of congression-
al action on such paramount
issues as foreign aid, civil
rights, taxation, public works
authorizations, and Federal aid
to education.
The prospect Of a Senate
filibuster on civil rights and
the desire to avoid idleness and
absenteeism in the House later
this year. This ties in with the
growing prospect that Congress
will not adjourn at least before
Thanksgiving and perhaps not
before Christmas.
The only major bill scheduled
thus far for House debate in
the week of September 9 is a
Senate-approved measure in
cooperating administration
proposals for programs for the
mentally retarded.
Showdown Avoided
Leaders are hesitant about
calling up a $3.50 million au-
thorization bill to help build
civil defense fallout shelters.
This bill was approved by the
Armed Services Committee and
cleared by the Rules Commit
tee last week. Armed Services
Committee Chairman VinSon,
Democrat of Georgia, hoped to
get House passage by Septem-
ber 10. :
Other Democratic leaders
were far from certain the
House will pass 1t. They indi-
Gated 1t would not reach the
House floor until late this
month.
The Rules Committee itself
might go slow in seeking a
House showdown on a resolu-
ton it approved last week for
establishment of a special COM
mittee to investigate Federal
outlays for research programs
of all kinds. The resolution was
regarded as having a better
than even chance of House
passage but chairmen of most
other major House commit
tees oppose it or favor extern
Sive revision and Qualification.
Bills approved by various
committees and awaiting Rules
Committee clearance include
those for creation of a Youth
Conservation Corps, a mass
transportation relief program,
a cotton price supports mea-
sure, a one-year extension of
Federal aid to schools in COM
munities affected by large Fed
eral installations, a Fair En-
ployment Opportunities Act,
authority for Federal courts to
appoint public defenders for
INDECENT defendants, a "qual-
ity stabilization" bill permit
ting manufacturer Of brand
name products to set minimum
prices, additional funds for
economically distressed area
redevelopment, and another
Mexican farm labor bill.
Still in Committee
Area redevelopment and the
Mexican farm labor legislation
were defeated earlier this year
in the House. Both have been
approved by the Senate. House
leaders have not said how soon
those bills would go before the
House, assuming they can go
through the Rules Committee.
There were reports early this
summer that the redevelop-
ment bill and the cotton bill
had better prospects, although
sponsors of the measures
denied any deal or mutual
understanding" Lately those
reports have been less frpuiient |