CONTENTS

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Statement by

Bridges, Hon. Styles, chairman, Appropriations Committee, United

States Senate.
Buck, Hon. C. Douglass, chairman, Committee on the District of

Columbia, United States Senate.
Burdette, Franklin L., professor of government and politics, University

of Maryland.--
Chamberlain, Lawrence H., professor of public law and government,

Columbia University
Galloway, Dr. George B., Legislative Reference Service, Library of

Congress-
Gurney, Hon. Chan, chairman, Armed Services Committee, United

States Senate.--
Heller, Robert, chairman of the National Committee for Strengthening

Congress-
Hines, Lewis G., national legislative representative, American Federa-

tion of Labor
Huber, Arista, Secretaries' Club, House of Representatives.
Kaufman, Irving R., special assistant to the Attorney General.
Kefauver, Hon. Estes., a Representatives in Congress from Ten-
Knutson, Hon. Harold, chairman of Committee on Ways and Means,

House of Representatives.
La Follette, Hon. Robert M., Jr., former Senator from Wisconsin.-
Millikin, Hon. Eugene D., a United States Senator from Colorado.--
Monroney, Hon. A. S. Mike, a Representative in Congress from

Oklahoma
Pepper, Hon. Claude, a United States Senator from Florida -
Smith, George H. E., Majority Policy Committee, United States

Senate.
Stone, Mrs. Kathryn H., League of Women Voters of the United

States..
Taft, Hon. Robert A., a United States Senator from Ohio.
Wiley, Hon. Alexander, chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United

States Senate.-
Zeller, Belle, professor of political science, Brooklyn College, New

York...

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nessee.

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98

EVALUATION OF
LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1946

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1948

*

UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES
IN THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS,

Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:15 a.m. in the committee room, Senate Office Building, Senator George D. Aiken (chairman of the committee) presiding.

Present: Senators Aiken, Thye, McClellan, and Hoey.
Also present: E. B. Van Horn, committee staff director.
The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order.

This is a hearing of the full Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments on the subject of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946. The act, Public Law 601 of the Seventy-ninth Congress, provides in section 102 (1) g (2) (C)such committee shall have the duty of

evaluating the effects of laws enacted to reorganize the legislative and executive branches of the Government. The act is, of course, the reorganization of the legislative branch. A copy will be included in the record of the hearing at the conclusion of my statement.

The act went into effect on the first day of the first session of the Eightieth Congress and many people consider it to be the most thoroughgoing reorganization which Congress has ever attempted. We have now had one full year of operation under the act and it is desirable that we take stock of our position; that we determine wherein the act has been effective; and that we attempt to strengthen it in the places where it may be weak. That is the purpose of these hearings.

We wish to develop every side of the questions which will be raised and we shall have testimony from both major political parties, from congressional leaders, from committee chairmen, and from outside experts who have studied the effectiveness of the act without becoming enmeshed in its day-to-day operations. It is anticipated that hearings will be held today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, and that they will then be adjourned to February 17, at which time we hope to hear from Senator La Follette, who was one of the two authors of the act, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and others who cannot appear this week. At the conclusion of the hearings, the committee will consider the recommendations which it will wish to make to the Senate.

This morning we are concerned with the broad aspects of the Legislative Reorganization Act and have invited the leaders of the Senate majority and minority parties to testify, along with Mr.

1

Robert Heller of Cleveland, Ohio. Senator Barkley is unable to be
here this morning. I understand he has an appointment with the
Foreign Relations Committee. The first witness this morning is
Senator Taft.

We are glad to have you with us, Senator. We would like to have your ideas as to where the Reorganization Act may be weak and how it can be strengthened so as to permit a better functioning of the legislative processes.

(The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, Public Law 601, 79th Cong., is as follows:)

[PUBLIC LAW 601-79TH CONGRESS]
[CHAPTER 7532D SESSION]

(S. 2177]
AN ACT To provide for increased efficiency in the legislative branch of the Government
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled,

SHORT TITLE

That (a) this Act, divided into titles and sections according to the following table of contents, may be cited as the “Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946":

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE I-CHANGES IN RULES OF SENATE AND HOUSE Sec. 101. Rule-making power of the Senate and House.

PART 1-STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE

Sec. 102. Standing committees of the Senate.

Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
Committee on Appropriations.
Committee on Armed Services.
Committee on Banking and Currency.
Committee on Civil Service.
Committee on the District of Columbia.
Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.
Committee on Finance.
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Committee on the Judiciary.
Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.
Committee on Public Lands.
Committee on Public Works.

Committee on Rules and Administration.
Sec. 103. Appropriations.

PART 2-RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1

Sec. 121. Standing committees of the House of Representatives.

Committee on Agriculture.
Committee on Appropriations.
Committee on Armed Services.
Committee on Banking and Currency.
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.
Committee on the District of Columbia.
Committee on Education and Labor.
Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Committee on House Administration,
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Committee on the Judiciary.
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Committee on Public Lands.
Committee on Public Works.
Committee on Rules.
Committee on Un-American Activities.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Committee on Ways and Means.
Sec. 122. Delegates and Resident Commissioner.
Sec. 123. Reference of Private Claims Bills,

TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued

TITLE 1-CHANGES IN RULES OF SENATE AND HOUSE-Continued

PART 3- PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO BOTH HOUSES

Sec. 131. Private bills banned.
Sec. 132. Congressional adjournment.
Sec. 133. Committee ocedure.
Sec. 134. Committee powers.
Sec. 135. Conference rules on amendments in nature of substitute.
Sec. 136. Legislative oversight by standing committees.
Sec. 137. Decisions on questions of committee jurisdiction.
Sec. 138. Legislative Budget.
Sec. 139. Hearings and reports by Appropriations Committees.
Sec. 140. Records of Congress.
Sec. 141. Preservation of committee hearings.
Sec. 142. Effective date.

TITLE II-MISCELLANEOUS

PART 1-STATUTORY PROVISIONS RELATING TO CONGRESSIONAL PERSONNEL

Sec. 201. Increase in compensation for certain Congressional officers.
Sec. 202. Committee staffs.
Sec. 203. Legislative Reference Service.
Sec. 204. Office of the Legislative Counsel.
Sec. 205. Studies by Comptroller General.
Sec. 206. Expenditure analyses by Comptroller General.
Sec. 207. Correction of Military and Naval Records.

PART 2-STATUTORY PROVISIONS RELATING TO COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS

Sec. 221. Improvement of Congressional Record.
Sec. 222. Joint Committee on Printing.
Sec. 223. Joint Committee on the Library.
Sec. 224. Transfer of functions.
Sec. 225. Joint Committee on the Economic Report.
Sec. 226. Economic Report of the President.

PART 3-PROVISIONS RELATING TO CAPITOL AND PAGES

Sec. 241. Remodeling of caucus rooms and restaurants.
Sec. 242. Assignment of Capitol space.
Sec. 243. Senate and House pages.
Sec. 244. Authorization of appropriations and personnel.
Sec. 245. Effective date.

TITLE III-REGULATIONS OF LOBBYING ACT
Sec. 301, Short title.
Sec. 302. Definitions.
Sec. 303. Detailed accounts of contributions.
Sec. 304. Receipts for contributions.
Sec. 305. Statements to be filed with Clerk of House.
Sec. 306. Statement preserved for two years.
Sec. 207. Persons to whom applicable.
Sec. 308. Registration with Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House.
Sec. 309. Reports and statements to be made under oath.
Sec. 310. Penalties.
Sec. 311. Exemption.

TITLE IV-FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS Act

PART 1-SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS

Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Definitions.

PART 2- ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENT OF TORT CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES

Sec. 403. Claims of $1,000 or less.
Sec. 404. Reports.

PART 3-SUITS ON TORT CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES

Sec. 410, Jurisdiction.
Sec. 411. Procedure.
Sec. 412. Review,
Sec. 413. Compromise.

PART 4-PROVISIONS COMMON TO PART 2 AND PART 3

Sec. 420. One year statute of limitations.
Sec. 421. Exceptions.
Sec. 422. Attorneys' fees.
Sec. 423. Exclusiveness of remedy.
Sec. 424. Certain statutes inapplicable.