• U.S.

THE CONGRESS: Congress’ Week, Apr. 14, 1947

3 minute read
TIME

Congress took stock of its accomplishments to date. In 90 legislative days it had passed 30 bills, confirmed 12,837 nominations, used up 3,021 pages of the Congressional Record (and 1,472 of the Appendix) to report 365 hours and 45 minutes of debate. On the surface, it was not an impressive record, but it did not reflect the steady plugging of 41 committees and 152 subcommittees, which had begun to funnel out a steady flow of legislation.

By last week the Senate was weary and crotchety after nine days’ debate on the Lilienthal nomination (see above). The House was less edgy. Planning on a full week off, Congressmen skittered through their work like a group of schoolboys. Democrats were feeling especially set up. On three straight votes they had put a crimp in Appropriations Chairman John Taber’s efforts to pare down the $3 billion First Deficiency Bill for 1947.

Economy-minded John Taber started it off himself when he admitted that $350 million had been mistakenly sliced from veterans’ funds and should be restored. Crowed Missouri’s veteran Clarence Cannon: “There could have been no mistake about it. It stood out like an elephant in a flower garden.”

Balance of Power. With that opening wedge the Democrats went on to ram through a $6 million amendment (128 to 110) to provide free lunches for school children. Then they tackled an old issue on which a previous Democratic Congress had not distinguished itself. This was the $2,158.01 in back pay owed for four years to former Virgin Islands Governor Robert Morss Lovett, and to onetime Federal Communications Commission employees Goodwin B. Watson and William E. Dodd Jr. In 1943 Congress had specifically withheld payment, because the Dies Committee had accused the three men of “subversive leanings.” The Supreme Court had classified that action as a bill of attainder and ordered payment.

But Chairman Taber was fighting mad by now. He roared: “The Court said it was a charge on the conscience of the sovereign. … I am willing to charge my conscience with one more thing and not appropriate money for this purpose.” Replied Massachusetts’ young John Kennedy, still atabrine-yellow from PT-boat service in the Pacific: “The strength of America is in the balance of power between the executive, the legislative and judicial branches of our Government. If we should not honor the decision of the Supreme Court we would be breaking down that division.”

By voting time, the issue was so close that the House was forced to three successive ballots. On the first, both sides bellowed their ayes and nays so loudly that no decision was possible. On the rising vote the amendment to pay Lovett, Watson and Dodd appeared lost: 97 to 86. But when members marched down the aisle to be counted for a teller vote, it just squeaked through: 99 to 98.

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