In Washington –
GOP Senators plan reforms in committees
Program hinges in victory in elections
Washington (UP) –
Republican leaders in the Senate are now working on plans to tighten up the Senate committee system in event they gain control of the upper house in the November elections.
The plans, being prepared by the Republican steering committee under the chairmanship of Senator Robert A. Taft (R-OH), include tentatively the following reforms:
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Reduce the number of committees. At present, there are 33 standing committees and 11 special committees.
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Restrict the number of committee memberships that one Senator may hold.
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Require formal committee quorums. Sometimes only one Senator is present at a committee hearing, which means that absent members are unable to follow the course of developing legislation.
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Do away with proxy voting, which is used at present to report out bills which many of the men recorded as voting have not had a chance to study.
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Increase the number of technical experts assigned to a few of the more technical committees, such as Appropriations and Finance.
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After committees have been reduced and members have been given a little more time to become specialists in their fields, there should be joint hearings with correspondent House committees, thereby doing away with duplicating testimony and an unnecessary waste of time for both Congress and witnesses.
Other suggestions for Senate reform which have been before the Rules Committee since last November have been made by Senators Francis Maloney (D-CT), Robert M. La Follette Jr. (PR-WI) and Guy M. Gillette (D-IA).