1946: United States

A summary of the legislative, judicial and political events of 1946 in the United States is presented below.

LAW AND LEGISLATION

The Congress.

The second session of the 79th Congress began on January 14, 1946, and adjourned sine die August 6, 1946. In the Senate there were 56 Democrats, 39 Republicans, and 1 Progressive. Kenneth McKellar, Democrat, Tennessee, was the President Pro Tempore. The Majority Leader was Alben Barkley, Democrat, Kentucky, and the Minority Leader Wallace H. White, Republican, Maine. The House of Representatives had 239 Democrats, 192 Republicans, 1 Progressive, 1 Labor, and 2 vacancies. Sam Rayburn, Democrat, Texas, secured the election to the Speakership. The Democratic Majority Leader was John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts, and the Minority Leader was Joseph W. Martin, also of Massachusetts.

President Truman's Appeal to the People.

On January 13, while the members of Congress were still at their homes, President Truman, in a nationwide radio broadcast, appealed to the voters to put pressure on Congress to speed up action on his 21-point legislative program, which he had presented to Congress in his message of September 5, 1945, and which included the 'full employment' bill, the minimum wage bill, the bill making permanent the Fair Employment Practices Commission, and the bill to return the employment services to the states — the last of which the President opposed.

The message, however, rather than securing the effects desired by the President, aroused the congressmen to even greater antagonism. It came just as they were considering restoring to the legislative branch of the government the many powers which had been granted to the President as necessary for the prosecution of the war. Congress now insisted on its right to control legislation and refused to be dictated to by the President or anyone else. As a result, they showed no desire to follow the President's recommendations. After all, this was an election year, when all 435 members of the House and 32 of the Senators would be up for re-election. With a surprisingly few people acting on the President's suggestion to contact their legislators, Congress came into session prepared for independent action. It was willing to work in harmony with the President, but if any of his policies were not approved by the general public, the President would find that Congress would not support him.

Fair Employment Practices Bill.

On the day Congress assembled, Senate Majority Leader Barkley requested that, because the President's annual message to Congress had been postponed from January 16 to January 21, Congress not consider any major legislation. But this agreement was broken by an Administration Democrat, Senator Dennis Chavez of New Mexico, when he moved to have the highly controversial 'Fair Employment Practices Bill' made the unfinished business. The motion was adopted 49 to 17, with 30 not voting. Immediately there began a 24-day filibuster by Southern Democrats, which was not ended until a motion by Senator Barkley to close debate and bring the bill to a vote was defeated by a vote of 48 to 36, which lacked the necessary two-thirds. Senator Chavez then withdrew the Fair Employment Practices Bill as unfinished business, thus killing all chances of its passage. The result seemed more or less satisfactory to most people concerned. The Southern Democrats, of course, were pleased, but even Northern Democrats and Republicans did not wholly endorse the bill.

'Full Employment' Bill.

The President was able, however, to secure the passage of the 'Full Employment' bill, although it was only a shadow of the original bill which contained the promise of the government to see that everyone had a job who wanted one. The new law sets up a permanent council of three full-time economic advisers to the President, at salaries of $15,000 a year. Their job is to help the Administration and Congress decide what the government should and should not do to help United States economy function smoothly and prosperously. Although the council lacks enforcement powers, it does mean that the government is bound to be the most potent single factor in making or breaking the economy of the country.

The declared purpose of the bill, as finally agreed upon, is 'to foster and promote free competitive enterprise and the general welfare, conditions under which there will be afforded useful employment opportunities, including self-employment, for those able, willing and seeking work, and to promote maximum employment, protection and purchasing power.' The three economic advisers will make studies of economic and labor conditions and report to the President, who will submit the findings to Congress at the beginning of each regular session. In signing the bill, President Truman said that it was a 'commitment by the government ... to take any and all of the measures necessary for a healthy economy.'

Case Bill.

One of the most controversial pieces of legislation passed during this session of Congress was the Case bill. Sponsored by Representative Francis Case, a Republican of South Dakota, its original aim was to place stringent curbs on some present labor practices, at the same time amending the Norris-LaGuardia Anti-Injunction Act. As passed by the House Rules Committee, it would also provide for civil suits against labor contract violations, permit unions to be enjoined, and would maintain the status quo for 30 days should a tripartite mediation board take jurisdiction.