National Affairs: Poles Apart

"This bill," said Massachusetts' John Fitzgerald Kennedy one afternoon last week from his outpost in the Senate's rear row, "is little more than a pious admonition of concern." Added Illinois' fatigued and visibly angry Paul Douglas: "The Committee on Finance reported a papier-mâché whale." But Democrats Kennedy and Douglas stood virtually alone as they chided the Senate for its low-pressure approach to a watered-down bill for extending unemployment compensation. The bill had already been passed by the House (TIME, May 12) and approved without a comma's change by Harry Flood Byrd's Senate Finance...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!