CONTENTS Statement by Page Bridges, Hon. Styles, chairman, Appropriations Committee, United 256 Buck, Hon. C. Douglass, chairman, Committee on the District of 255 Burdette, Franklin L., professor of government and politics, University of Maryland__. 187 Chamberlain, Lawrence H., professor of public law and government, 262 Galloway, Dr. George B., Legislative Reference Service, Library of 117 Gurney, Hon. Chan, chairman, Armed Services Committee, United 255 Heller, Robert, chairman of the National Committee for Strengthening 36 Hines, Lewis G., national legislative representative, American Federa- Huber, Arista, Secretaries' Club, House of Representatives - nessee_. Knutson, Hon. Harold, chairman of Committee on Ways and Means, La Follette, Hon. Robert M., Jr., former Senator from Wisconsin. 250 260 88 259 252 59 215 79 Pepper, Hon. Claude, a United States Senator from Florida- 223 159 Stone, Mrs. Kathryn H., League of Women Voters of the United 199 Taft, Hon. Robert A., a United States Senator from Ohio 33 Wiley, Hon. Alexander, chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United 253 Zeller, Belle, professor of political science, Brooklyn College, New EVALUATION OF 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. 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. 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 753-2D 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 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 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. PART 2-STATUTORY PROVISIONS RELATING TO COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS 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. |