East Texas Historical Journal
Volume 11 Issue 1 Article 10
3-1973
Sam Rayburn and the Rules Committee Change of 1961
James Smallwood
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Recommended Citation Smallwood, James (1973) "Sam Rayburn and the Rules Committee Change of 1961," East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. 11 : Iss. 1 , Article 10. Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ethj/vol11/iss1/10
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SAM RAYBURN AND THE RULES COMMITTEE CHANGE OF 1961 by James Smallwood
In the last months of the Eisenhower Administration, Sam Raybwn of Texas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, encountered growing opposition to reform legislation. Sometimes called a populist, sometimes a liberal, and sometimes a moderate-regaI'dless of classification, Rayburn in forty-six years of continuous service in the House established a record for positive achievement, but in the Eighty-Sixth Congress, which met in 1959, the Conunittee on Rules blocked the Democratic legislative program even though the Democrats were in the majority.1 This opposition to progressive legislation challenged the Speaker's long record of leadership. lndeed, RaybmD had an impressive public career. Born in Roane County, Tennessee; on January 6, 1882, he moved to Texas during his youth and received his education at East Texas College at Commerce and The University of Texas Law School at Austin. Taking an early interest in politics, the life-long Democrat was elected to his first of three terms in the Texas House of Representatives in 1907. He rapidly became influential in state politics, as amply demonstrated in 1911 when he was chosen Speaker of the House. He was first elected to the United States Congress in 1913 and was thereafter continually reelected until his death in 1961. He represented the Fourth Congressional District, one that included Collin, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, and Rockwall counties. Establishing a reputation as an able legislator, he not only represented the interests of his East Texas constituents, he also gained influence in national Democratic circles. From 1931 to 1937 he chaired the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. After serving as Majority Leader from 1937 to 1940, he was elected Speaker of the House and held that position unti.l1947 when the Democratic Party lost control of the chamber. He was Minority Leader from 1947 until 1949, and from 1949 to 1953 he again served as Speaker. From 1953 to 1955 he served as Majority Leader, and in 1955 he was once again elected Speaker, the position' he held until his death) It was during his last term as Speaker that the aforementioned Rules Committee presented Rayburn with one of his greatest ·'tests." This committee was the most powerful one in the House. Having original and secondary jurisdiciton over the agenda of proposed legislation, it could stop most bills by refusing to advance them for consideration before the House. It could even introduce its own bills. Without it, the House would have had more bills than could have possibly been considered. The primary function of the committee, then, was to prevent needless legislation from reaching the floor, but by using broad powers in 1959 it blocked most bills and thus controlled all legislation.3 Previously, when Raybrnn's personal friend Joseph W. Martin was Republican Minority Leader, the Speaker carried out most Democratic programs without ~eat difficulty by compromising with Martin. In the Eighty-sixth Congress, however, Charles A. Halleck replaced Martin as Minority Leader. Halleck immediately established an alliance with Howard W. Smith, the conservative Chairman of the Rules Committee, and these two men successfully obstructed the Speaker's Democratic ~rogram.3 For Raybwn, the Virginia «Dixiecrat" Smith was a worthy opponent
James Smallwood is associated with the Department of History at Texas Tech University. 52 EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL JOURNAL because as Chairman of the Rilles Committee he held the power to set its agenda, to schedule -witnesses, or even to choose not to convene the Committee.4 Although the Rules Committee may consist of from five to Hfteen members, in .. the years prior to 1959 it'> number was set at twelve. Traditionally, the majority party in the House -controlled it with an 'eight to four advantage.S Accordingly, the Democratic Party should have dominated it. Yet the Republicans gained control becau~'e Chairman Smith and William M. Colmer, "Dixiecrat" from Mississippi, joined the Republican committeemen and effectively blocked Democratic legi&lation.6 Rayburn tried to use personal influence to counteract this coalition but was unsuccessful. He suffered many failures during the Eisenhower Administration.? As a result, the Democratic Party failed to advance its program and almost split trying to break the conservative alliance. This situation became intolerable to the Speaker during the presidential and congressional campaigns of 1960. The conservative coalition did everything in its power to embarrass Democratic candidates-especiaDy John F. Kennedy, the Party's nominee for President. During this period, Smith and Colmer, voting \\1th Republicans, stopped liberal bills concerning minimum wages, aid to education, and hOllsing..8 Rayburn and Kennedy duly blamed the conservatives. After the presidential elections of 1960, the Speaker tlnally decided to react against the obstruction. He believed in Kennedy's New Frontier and re~cd th
FOOTNOTES
IBound collection of newspaper clippings, January 12, 1960, Rayburn Papers, Sam Rayburn library, Bonham, Texas.
2V•S., Congress, Congressional Directory, 86th Congress 1st Session, 1959, 155.
3George B Galloway, The Legislative Process in Congress (New York, 1953), 340-346; John H Ferguson and Dean E. McHemy, The American System a/Government (New York, 1963), 257-258. A few bills are privileged. Appropriations, revenue measures, veteran's pensions, and certain other bills may bypass the Rules Committee. Also, on Calendar Wednesday and Consent Calendar Day, proposed legislation may go directly to the floor. Only non-controvcrsial bills are brought up in either of these ways because unanimous House consent is required for passage. U.S., Congressional Quarterly, Alamanac, 87th Congress, 1st Session (Washington., 1961), WVII, 402 4 ' New York Times, January 30, 1961, I, 12.
5James A Robinson, Th"e Hou.se RUles Committee (New York, 1963), 82·84; New York Times, August 23, 1960, 1,18.
6U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 1961, CVII, Part 2, 1574.
7U.S., Congressional Record, 86th Congress, 2d Session, 1960, CVI, PaIt 14, 19366-19368;New York Time,. January 23, 1961, I, 6.
8New York Times, December 21, 1960, I, 20.
9Robinson, The House Rules Committee, 74.
lOSam Rayburn to Clarence Cannon, December 2, 1960, Rayburn Papers; Rayburn to Clifford Davis, December 7,1960, Rayburn Papers.
llNew York Times, December 21, 1960, I, 20.
12Bound collection of newspaper clippings, December 27, 1960, Rayburn Papers; Richard Bolling, House Out of Order (New York, 1965), 202; New York Times" December 25. 1960, I, 1, 20.
13U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, lst Session, 1961, CVIL, Part 2, 1582-1583; Bound collection of newspaper clippings, January 4, 1961 and January 6, 1961, Rayburn Papers.
14Bound collection of neWspaper clippings, January 6, 1961, Rayburn Papexs..
15 Personal interview with H.G. Dulaney, Director of the Sam Rayburn Library, AprilS, 1967; Bolling, Hou,e Out 01Order, 211-212.
16U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 1961, CVII, Part 1,25; Dallas Morning News, January 3, 1961, I, 1, and January 4,1961, I, 3.
17Bonham Daily Favorite. January 25, 1961; Bolling, House Out of Order, 213-215. 56 EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL JOURNAL
l8U.S., Congressional Quarterly, Almanac, 87th Congress, 1st Session, SVIL, 402.
19New York Times, January 26, 1961, I, 10 and January 31, 1961, I, 1.
20New York Times,January 30, 1961, I, 12, January 31, 1961, I, 1, and February 2,1961, I, 15,
21Conference on Majority Rule to Rayburn, December 28, 1960, Rayburn Papers.
22U.S., Congress. House, The Leadership ofSpeaker Sam Rayburn, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 1961, House Document 247, Pasrim;New York Times, February 2, 1961, I, 15.
23Bonham Daily Favorite, January 8, 1961,1, and January 12, 1961, 1.
24Bonham Daily Favorite, Janmrry 18, 1961, 1. 25 . UoS., Congressional Quarterly, Almanac, 87th Congress,lst Session, 404.
26New York Times, January 24,1961,1,1.
27 U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Se~~ion, 1961, CVII, Part 1, 1224;; Bonham Daily Favorite, January 23, 1961, 1, and January 25, 1961, 1.
28Dailas Morning News, February 1, 1961, I, 4.
29 Rayburn to Houston Harte, February 21, 1961, Rayburn Papers
30 U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 1961, CVII, Part 2, 1589-1590.
31 U•S., Congressional Record, 1576.·
32/Vew York Times, January 27, 1961, I, 1; Dallas Morning News, February 1, 1961, 1,1. 33 U.S., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 1961, CVII, Part 2, 1579-1580.
34Rayburn to CA. Rettig, February 27, 1961, Rayburn Papers; Rayburn to Tom Durning, March 20, 1961, Rayburn Papers.
35 U.8., Congressional Record, 87th Congress, 1st Session, ]961, CVII, Part 2, 1589-1590.
36New York Times, Pebruary 1, 1961, I, 1, 21; Bound collection of newspaper clippings, February 1, 1961, Rayburn Papers. "'Ii
37U.S., Congressional Quarterly, Almanac, 87th Congress, 1st Session, 402-407.