CONGRESS: The Legislative Week Mar. 7, 1927

The Senate—

¶ Heard that the Foreign Relations Committee had refused to send itself to Mexico and Nicaragua on an official investigating trip, as proposed by its chairman, Senator Borah.

¶ Debated furiously, filibustered for 28½ hours, refused to apply closure on the Swing-Johnson Boulder Dam bill.

¶ Applied closure to force a vote on the Administration’s bill creating a separate bureau of Prohibition in the Treasury Department, placing all Federal Dry agents under the Civil Service.

The House—

¶ Reversed its previous action and defied the President by adding a $450,000 appropriation to the Navy bill to begin immediate construction of three cruisers. Speaker Longworth left his chair to enter the debate. (After the Senate approved a conference report, the bill went to the President.)

¶ Passed the Norbeck-Johnson seed loan bill, authorizing the Government to lend $5,000,000 to needy farmers. (Bill went to the President.)

¶ Adopted the Porter resolution requesting the President to negotiate a treaty between the U. S. and China, regardless of the concert of European powers.

¶ Heard that a Republican caucus had, by acclamation, renominated Nicholas Longworth as Speaker and John Q. Tilson as Floor Leader for the forthcoming 70th Congress.