The Debating Session

As his State of the Union message clearly demonstrated, no one more intuitively senses the mood of Congress than Lyndon Johnson. And, unlike the obedient Democratic 89th, which acquiesced in almost every Administration whim, the 90th Congress will offer far more contention than consensus when it comes to the President's legislative proposals. Johnson recognized as much in conceding before the new Congress: "The genius of the American political system has always been best expressed through creative debate that offers choices and reason able alternatives."

The 90th could well become the Debating Congress, skeptical of Administration policies both domestic and foreign. Most of its members are well into their middle years (average age 52); over half are lawyers; 88% have served in a public capacity before coming to Congress; 69 are eager first-term freshmen. Not since the Eisenhower landslide of 1956 have Republicans held such congressional strength. There are five new G.O.P. Senators and 47 new Republican Representatives. The Democrats' Senate margin is still a comfortable 64-36, but in the House their edge has slipped from last session's 154-vote majority to a 246-187 advantage. Thus the House G.O.P. delegation needs to woo only 30 Democrats to win a majority on any issue.

Another reason for optimism among

Republicans is the dwindling effectiveness of the Democratic leadership, particularly in the House, which holds the ultimate key to the legislative record of the 90th Congress. Restive Democrats ignored the party line laid down by 75-year-old Speaker John McCormack and Majority Leader Carl Albert (under doctor's orders to ease up after last year's heart attack), in refusing to seat Adam Clayton Powell (see following story). Earlier, a Democratic caucus had flouted McCormack's wishes and voted to kick out the Clerk of the House, Ralph Roberts, a widely disliked 16-year veteran in that post.

McCormack and Albert suffered an other defeat on the House floor when Republicans, led by Gerald Ford, mustered a 224-196 vote against a Democratic move to adopt the same procedural rules that had governed the 89th Congress. It was a big show of muscle on a minor matter, and a clear portent of the ambuscades ahead.

President Johnson has also divined the latent obstacles, and in his State of the Union address he pointedly avoided several prickly proposals that could stir up the membership. These included repeal of the Taft-Hartley Law's famed 14-B (right-to-work) section, rent subsidies and tough new civil rights proposals.

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