Evening star., 1963-01-09

the Democratic majorities are
not as large as they appear on
paper.
Lineups Given
!, Counting party labels, the
session starts out with these
lineups:
House-258 Democrats, 176
Republicans and vacancy.
Senate-67 Democrats, 33
Republicans.
But in both Houses, a sub
stantial bloc of conservative
Southerners will vote frequent
ly with the opposition, and a
smaller number of liberal Re-
publicans will cross the center
aisle to support administrative
A bipartisan group of lib
erals is all set to propose a new
rule under which a ajority of
81 Senators could curb debate
whenever the two-thirds now
required for cloture is not avail
able.
Southern Democrats, with
the help of some conservative
Western Republicans, are pre-
pared to hold the floor as long
as possible to prevent any new
restrictions on freedom of Sem
ate debate.
Fight Promised
Following a caucus Of South
ern Democrats late yesterday.
their spokesman, Senator Rus
sell of Georgia, announced that
they will make an "all-out, last
ditch, end-of-the-road fight"
to prevent any further curtail- |
ment Of freedom of speech in
the Senate. Asked how long
this might take, he replied:
We'll, there are only 12
months in the year, and we are
prepared to fight that long to
preserve constitutional govern
ment."
Senator Russell said those
who favor a reduction in the
two-thirds vote now required I
to curb debate would reduce
the Senate to the impotence of
the House Of Lords" in England. /
Liberals Determined
The liberals in both parties
are equally determined to get
some reduction in the two
thirds formula. Their spokes-
man, Senator Humphrey. has
announced they will start out
fighting for a majority of the
entire memberShip-5l. But if
they fail in this they will settle
for three-fifths of those pres
ent and voting, which would
mean so votes if every one was
accounted for. Under the pres
ent rule, it takes 81 to shut off
debate If all Senators are
present. Il
With gains made in the No
vember election, the liberals
appear TO have a majority in
favor OF the three-fifths rule.
Their big problem. however.
will be to find a way to get the
Southerners off their feet long
enough to get such a vote.
The Southerners will con-
tend that, under a rule adopted
In 1859, the rules Of one Con-
gress continue to the next
Congress, unless changed in
accordance with existing rules.
They will argue that existing
rules require that any change
in those rules must 60 to the
Rules Committee for hearings
unless a two-thirds vote can
be obtained TO suspend the
rules.
Senate Republicans completed
their party organization chores
yesterday afternoon. They
reelected their present leader
ship team, consisting Of: /
Minority Leader Dirksen of
Illinois, Assistant Leader Kuchel'
OF California, Conference Chair /
man Saltonstall OF Massachu-
Setts, Policy Chairman Hicken-
looper Of Iowa and Senator
Young Of North Dakota, secre-
tary Of the conference.
White House Briefing
on his return from Florida
late yesterday. President Ken
redy called leaders Of both .
parties 10 the White House for
a briefing on national defense
and foreign policy matters.
which was given by Secretary
of State RuSk, Defense Secre-
tary Mcnamara and CIA
Director McCone
The international situation
Will be gone into more
thoroughly when Mr.. Rusk
eoes before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Friday
The Cuban situation Is ex-
pected to be the focal point Of
this session