THE CONGRESS: Get Out of Town

• Share

Last week the Administration passed the word to House and Senate G.O.P. leaders: it would like Congress to adjourn by midsummer, get out of town and (barring emergencies) stay out until next January. Reason: Cabinet members and top aides spend so much time testifying and preparing to testify before congressional committees that they can't get on with the work of running the Government.

To fit the White House schedule, California's Bill Knowland, acting majority leader, presented a stripped-down list of "must" legislation: 1) Reorganization Plan No. 2, to give Agriculture Secretary Benson sweeping powers to reform and reshuffle his vast department; 2) reciprocal-trade extension; 3) the continental-shelf bill to give the Federal Government control of offshore oil beyond state boundaries; 4) the Watkins bill to grant emergency visas to 240,000 Iron Curtain refugees, other aliens. Also on the agenda: routine appropriations, extension of the excess profits tax. Apparently overboard for this session: 1) Hawaiian statehood; 2) revision of Taft-Hartley; 3) simplification of U.S. Customs procedure.