State of the Congress

In his State of the Union speech last January, President Truman said, "The people have a right to expect that the Congress and the President will work in the closest cooperation with one objective--the welfare of the people of this nation as a whole."

When the 81st Congress adjourned last week, its action on the Administration's domestic policies consisted mainly of nine and a half months of party splits, filibusters, and witchhunts. President Truman put before Congress a long-range program of social legislation, and the lawmakers responded by devoting much of their time to headline prosecutions instead of their more serious legislative duties.

Of the large body of progressive legislation recommended in the State of the Union speech, Congress passed a housing slum clearance bill, extended rent controls, increased the minimum wage, and (on the last day) approved a farm subsidy bill. An expanded social security program and a federal aid to education bill are expected to be ready early in January. The rest of the Fair Deal proposals were ignored or talked to death; a few were honestly defeated.

The most conspicuous failure of the Congress was its default on two of Truman's favorite items, the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Law and civil rights legislation. In both cases, a defection in his own party stymied the President.

In foreign policy, the record of President-Congress cooperation was much better than on the domestic front. Bipartisan policy was continued this year with the North Atlantic Treaty, the Mutual Assistance Program, and extension of ERP. The Administration succeeded in extending reciprocal trade agreements in spite of strong Republican opposition.

The Republican-controlled 80th Congress continually harped on its "mandate" from the people to curb labor unions and "halt the trend to socialism." But the mandate of the 1948 elections seems to have been trampled underfoot along with most of Truman's proposals. The people, as the President said, have a right to expect Congress to carry out the program which they, the people, have endorsed. The next session will be the 81st's last chance.