Record of 83rd Congress (First Session)

Report Outline
Note
Record of the 83rd Congress (First Session)
Government Under New G.O.P. Management
Government Finances: Taxation and Appropriations
Business, Farm, Labor Measures; Liquidation of Direct Controls
Federal-State Relations; Offshore Oil
National Defense and Veteran Legislation
Foreign Political and Economic Policies
Special Focus

Note

Outstanding roll calls in the Senate and House during the 1953 session are given in full in a separate section of this Report with the title “Roll calls in 83rd Congress, First Session.” Summary tables of the second section show party alignments in all important roll calls.

Go to top

Record of the 83rd Congress (First Session)

Whether the first session of the new Republican Congress was one of constructive action, at which sound foundations were laid for future accomplishments, or will be put down in history as one lacking in achievement, cannot be told until Congress resumes its work in 1954. Certainly the legislative output of 1953 disappointed those who expected quick carrying out of pledges on which the G.O.P. was returned to power in 1952. Most of the record on which the party will go to the country again next year must be written at the session convening in January.

Many new projects were initiated but few were completed at the session just adjourned. Problems inherited from the preceding Democratic administrations did not lend themselves to easy solution. No major policy of the last 20 years was diametrically reversed, although many steps were taken in that direction. The nearest thing to a direct reversal was return to the states of offshore oil lands, but this had been voted by Democratic Congresses in 1946 and 1952 and blocked only by presidential vetoes.