Nixon Backed by Hill Only Half the Time
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score. The House Republican lead- Nixon Backed ership demonstrated its loy- alty to the White House, as party leaders held the four highest individual scores in support of the President. Bar- By Hill Only ber B. Conable Jr. (N.Y.), the chairman of the House Repub- lican Policy Committee, led all House members with an 86, and was followed by Gerald R. Ford (Mich.), who was minor- Half the Time ity leader until his confirma. r) 1, tio nas Vice President Dec. 6. v"? i; By Kimball W. Brace He scored 80. Next were party Whatever else Congress did whip Leslie C. Arends year," said Sen. Richard b. or didn't accomplish in 1973, and party conference vice Schweiker (R-Pa.), "there were chairman Samuel R. Devine it learned to say "no" to Presi- a lot of nominations and the ,Ohio),' both with 79. dent Nixon. energy thing. We're all for In the Senate, the top 16 The White House expressed measures to help. save ener- Nixon supporters were all Re- its wishes on 310 legislative gy." publicans, led by Clifford P. votes during the year, and got The decline in support was Hansen (Wyo.), who scored a its way only 50.6 per cent of centered in the House. Though 78. Tops among Democrats the time. It was the lowest it backed the President 81 per was James B. Allen (Ala), percentage of support any cent of the time in 1972, the with 66. president has had since Con- support score plummeted to 48 The 310 votes on which Mr. gressional Quarterly began per cent in 1973. The Senate, Nixon took a position during making annual studies of the less friendly to the President the year was the largest num- subject in 1953. in 1972, did not have as far to ber of presidential tests in the Before last year, the low was fall. Its decline was only two 20-year history of the study. 52 per cent, recorded by a points, from 54 per cent to 52 But the increase was due Democratic Congress during per cent. mainly to the fact that Con- the Eisenhower administration In both chambers, Demo- gress was voting more often in 1959. The new figures were crats went along with the than in the past—a record a dramatic change from 1972, President less than half the number of 1,135 votes in 1973. when Mr. Nixon won 66 per time-37 per cent in the Sen- The President took a position cent of the time, and an even ate and 35 per cent in the on 27 per cent of these votes, greater turnaround from the House. Republicans voted on well above his 10 per cent fig- Nixon high of 77 per cent, IT- the Nixon side 61 per cent of ure for 1972, but below the 20- corded in 1970. the time in the Senate and 62 year average of 45 per cent. per cent in the House, a rela- Anions Washington area lawmakers, Members of both houses Rep. Gilbert Gude of Maryland ranked tively slight decline from 1972. second among all Rouse Republicans said the Watergate affair was As in previous years, south- In votes opposing the Presdlent, with not the most important reason 57 Per cent. He supported the Presi- erners were more likely to go dent 40 per cent of the time. Other for the 1973 decline. They at- Maryland percentages: along with the President's Sen. J. Glenn Beall (II: 68 for, 30 tributed much of the change wishes than those in any other against, Sen. Charles Mathias (R): 43 for, to the President's threats early regional bloc. This was true in 12 against in 'the year to dismantle long- Rep. Robert E. Bauman (RI, who both parties. The average took offioe last Sept. 5: 54 for, 90 standing social programs. southern Senate Republican against. Rep. Clarence Long (D): 30 for. "They cut off disaster aid backed the President 69 per i8 against. and rural environmental as- Rep. Paul Swimmer, (D): 28 for. 72 igainst. sistance and rural water-sewer Rep. Marjorie Bolt (R): 69 for, 30 against. funds," said Rep. John M. cent of the time, while his Rep. Lawrence Hogan (R): 67 for Zwach (R-Minn.). "These were Democratic counterpart voted it against. Rep. Goadloe Byron (D): 57 for, things we naturally were not o,n Mr. Nixon's side 47 per 12 against:. Rep. Parren Mitchell (D): 22 for, going to go along with." cent of the time, both well 73 against. In general, the final aver- above the national averages Virginia percentages. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr. (Ind): 63 ages for 1973 confirmed what for their parties. for. 33 against. for. 33 against. had been apparent in August, Midwestern Democrats were Sen. William L. Scott (Ri: 72 for, when a special CQ study 20 against, the most frequent Nixon oppo- Rep. Thomas Downing (D): 51 for showed a precipitous drop in nents in the Senate, voting 41 against Rep. G. William Whitehurst (R): 72 presidential support for the with him 30 per cent of the for, 26 against. Rep. Darold Satterfield (13): 65 for, first seven months of the ses- time. In the House, that, dis- 30 against. sion. tinction went to Democrats Rep. Robert Daniel (11)): 72 for. 25 against. At that time, the support from the East, who had a 29 Rep. W. C. (Dan) Danlel(D: 66 for. 34 against. score was 43 per cent. A year- per cent support score. Rep. M. Caldwell Butler (15): 75 end flood of confirmations, The Nebraska delegation, all for. 23 against. Rep. J. gennath Robinson (R): 75 treaties and other non-contro- five of whose members are Re- for. 24 against Rep. Stanford Parris M): 64 for. versial legislation spared Mr. publicans, led all states in 33 against. Nixon the distinction of being their support for the Presi- Rep.. William Wampler IR): 69 for, 130 against. the only President even to lose dent. The Massachusetts dele- Rep. Joel Broyhill (R): 70 for, more votes than he won in a gation, which is -10-4 Demo- 26 against. single congressional year. cratic, had the lowest support "Right at the end of the .