Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
Spotlight, Getto Work,
Mansfield Asks Senate


charged, does not fairly repre-
sent eigher the geographical or
theological segments of the
party.
He said the South has seven
men on the 15-member Steer
ing Committee, when, on a geo.
graphical basis, it would be en-
titled to no more than five.
when to the seven South
ernerS is added on conservative,
the majority represents an ide-
ology drastically farther to the
right than a majority of the
Democratic Senators, two
thirds of whom might be clasSi-
fled as Kennedy supporters, "
said Senator Clark.
Rebuff Forecast
He accused the Steering
Committee of ignoring the
seniority rule in this years
committee assignments to the
detriment of administration
supporters who face hard fights
for reelection in 1854. He said
they followed the seniority rule
only when it would strengthen
their control of the Senate.
He also rebuked the Steering
Committee for not increasing
the size of major committees
that could help push the Presi-
dents program. The Pennsyl-
vanian then offered amend
ments to add two seats to the
Appropriations Committee, four
to Finance and four to Foreign
Relations.
Senator Clark told his Dem
ocratic colleagues that follow
ing the election of Woodrow
Wilson in 1912 a group of jun
Tor Senators upset an oil
garchy" which controlled the
Senate then. He said senior
committee leaders were replaced
with younger men and paved
the way for passage of the Fed
eral Reserve banking system,
the Underwood tariff law, the
Federal Trade Commission and
other Wilson reforms.
II plead with my colleagues
to do the same thing now, or
next year, or while Kennedy is
still in the White House In
order to get the country NOV
ing again and not be blocked
by the hand of the past" said
the liberal Pennsylvania.
Pattern" Question Raised
Democratic Leader Mansfield
frequently interrupted Senator
Clark to defend the committee
assignments. The Democratic
leader also challenged a sug-
gestion by Senator Douglas,
Democrat of Illinois, that in
making the committee assign
ments Senators who recently
favored a new rule against fill
clustering were passed over in
favor of those who defended
the filibuster.
II do not like the allegation
that the Steering Committee
was used to reward or punish
Senator'S" said Senator Mans
field.
Il do not make that charge"
said Senator Douglas. IT simply
ask If that pattern has not
developed?"
At one point in the debate,
Senator Mansfield said, II dis
like washing our dirty Demo-
cratic linen in public, but /
guess it has to be done"
Secrecy Unknown"
After Senator Clark had re-
vealed the names of Democratic
colleagues he said had failed to
get committees they rated on
the basis of seniority, Senator
Mansfield wryly suggeste d
holding all future Democratic
Party meetings in the open.
Secrecy is getting to be an
unknown word in this cham
ber," he added.
Senator Clark said it was Gin
excusable" for the Steering
Committee to leave the Finance
Committee at its present ratio
of IL Democrats and 8 Repub-
hcanS. when the Democrats
have a two-to-one majority in
the Senate. He pointed out that
this committee will handle the
Presidents tax and health in
surance for the aged bills and
bottled up the health bill last
year.
Senator Mansfield said the
Steering Committee decided not
to increase the Finance Com
mittee when a poll showed that
all 80 Republicans would have
opposed 1t on the Senate floor
and that not more than AZ Of
the 81 Democrats would have
voted for 1t.
Senator Clark said that poll
was based on proposed in
crease to Is Democrats and 6
6 Republicans, and might not
be the same on his proposal to
make the committee IA and Z. |