CONGRESS: An Amendment

There was no doubt how the Senate felt about it. They voted 73 to 2 in favor. This is the third time they have passed such a resolution. They passed it in the previous Congress (the 68th) and in the one before that (the 67th). But not yet has it been passed by the House.

IT is a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution by adding the following article:

Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President in office at the time this amendment takes effect shall end at noon on the third Monday in January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives then in office at noon on the first Monday in January of the year in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified, and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year and such meetings shall be on the first Monday in January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3. If the House of Representatives has not chosen a President, whenever the right of choice devolves upon them, before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, then the Vice President, chosen for the same term shall act as President until the House of Representatives chooses a President; and the Congress shall by law provide, in the event the Vice President has not been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, what officer shall act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly until the House of Representatives chooses a President, or until the Senate chooses a Vice President.

Section 4. This amendment shall take effect on the 15th day of October after its ratification.

The chief purpose of this amendment is to reduce the interval of four months between the election and taking of office of a President by about two months and a half, and the usual interval of 13 months between the election of a Congress and its assembling to about two months. Incidentally it would do away with the short term* in which filibusters are so effective, and by having a new session begin immediately after a new Congress is elected would do away with the “Lame Duck” legislators.

The reason that the House does not take kindly to the measure is that it will shorten the terms of members in office at the time of the ratification and since Congressmen serve only two years instead of six years as do the Senators, they are more concerned about the measure.

The resolution passed by the Senate was introduced by Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska. The two Senators who voted against it were Blease of South Carolina and King of Utah.

In the House, the Republican leader, Mr. Tilson, announced that he would leave the fate of the measure to the Steering Committee. Although there is apparently much opposition, Representative White of Kansas reported to the House a similar resolution on the day that the Senate passed that offered by Senator Norris. The White resolution differs from that of the Senate principally in fixing Jan. 4 for the assembling of Congress, and Jan. 24 for the inauguration of the President.

*A short term session comes every second year, every other session ordinarily is “short.” Congress always meets in December. Its term in office ends every second year on the fourth of March. Unless the President calls an extra session, all necessary business, including the passage, of appropriation bills, must be done in the intervening three months, less the Christmas holidays.