A Demeaning Indulgence

With inborn bayou cunning and every parliamentary trick and threat learned in 18 years on Capitol Hill, Louisiana's Russell Long has managed to mire the U.S. Senate in a month-long procedural gumbo. While many more pressing issues clamor for attention, the assistant majority leader has made his ill-conceived, hastily passed 1966 Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act the upper chamber's overriding concern. The measure would give up to $30 million each to the Republican and Democratic parties from $1 contributions checked off federal income tax returns. Though the Senate has already voted three times to repeal it, Long's crusade for his by-blow brainchild has been pressed with a fanatic zeal that has eroded the almost illimitable patience of his colleagues.

From Virtue to Vice. "Three weeks ago, I complimented the gentleman from Louisiana for his tenacity," declared Ohio's Senator Frank J. Lausche last week. "I now change tenacity to obstinacy. What I thought was a virtue three weeks ago, I describe as a vice today." Added Pennsylvania's Senator Hugh Scott: "The proceedings here have humiliated the Senate. I think we have become a laughingstock."

Long's powers--and powers of endurance--are no laughing matter. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, with lusty behind-the-scenes bravos from the Administration, which looks longingly toward the Long green in campaign treasure promised by his act, he has been in the catbird seat right from the beginning. Repeal of his act was tacked on as an amendment to the important investment tax-credit bill* sought by business and the Administration. Long simply faced down Senate custom--which dictates that a chairman protect committee bills from outside amendments--and allowed a plethora of fellow Senators' pet projects to be tacked onto the bill. When accused of "hinting" that he was deliberately tying up the tax bill as a strategy to save his Campaign Fund Act, Long boasted: "I did not hint it. I promised it. I promised that would be my course of action."

One More Vote. He meant it. Over the weeks, the tax bill became burdened with such extraneous amendments as tax breaks for parents supporting college students, cutting the age for male social-welfare recipients, restricting imports on beef and lamb, and cutting the depletion allowance for oilmen. "Ah'm game for anything," announced Long. When Mike Mansfield tried to halt the farce with a compromise motion, so much confusion and misunderstanding resulted from the intricate parliamentary procedures that Mansfield ended up voting against his own amendment.

Long met his third defeat last week after a 52-to-46 vote upholding an amendment by Tennessee's Senator Albert Gore that would repeal the Long act. As they have ever since the beginning of the struggle, Senate Republicans voted virtually en masse against the act, which would give the traditionally money-short Democrats extra campaign funds. Even with his latest rebuff, Long was not about to quit. "If need be," he said, "we ought to stay here until Christmas or New Year's to do what is best for the country." Snapped Mansfield: "I cannot believe that the Senate desires to repeat this demeaning indulgence."

With his colleagues up in arms against the undue waste of Senate time, Long at week's end promised he would abide by the Senate's wishes--after a fourth, and hopefully final, vote this week.

* Already passed in the House and Long's Senate Finance Committee, the bill would restore 7% tax credits for capital investments by industry. The credits were suspended last Oct. 10 when the Administration feared the economy was heading into an inflationary spiral.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.