By the Rules

The people elect the House. But the House elects the all-important Rules Committee. And last week, as old opponents began to dust off their parliamentary weapons, it seemed certain that the 88th Congress would begin the same way the 87th did--with a battle royal over the makeup of the Rules Committee.

On coming to power in 1961, the Kennedy Administration made changing the Rules Committee its first order of legislative business. The twelve-man committee had been split evenly between liberals and conservatives, and under the chairmanship of Virginia's conservative Democratic Representative Howard Smith, Rules had often kept liberal legislation from reaching the House floor.

The Administration therefore tried to increase the committee membership to 15 by adding three Congressmen, including two who would support the New Frontier legislative program. The House approved the plan by a vote of 217 to 212, but only after a savage battle in which the great influence of then-Speaker Sam Rayburn was the deciding factor.

Now, since the rules of one House do not carry over to the next, the whole fight must be waged again when Congress convenes next month. And, although liberal forces already are claiming victory, the outcome is in considerable doubt.

For one thing. Speaker John McCormack has neither the House influence nor the enthusiasm for the expanded Rules Committee that Rayburn had. For another, this year's elections saw Republicans pick up two seats. And although some liberals argued that they had really increased their strength. President Kennedy, for one, knew better. Said he on television last week: "We are not in quite as good shape as we were for the last two years."

Kennedy left no doubt about the importance he places on the Rules Committee battle. "I hope that the Rules Committee is kept to its present number," he said, "because we can't function if it isn't. We are through if we lose--if they try to change the rules. Nothing controversial in that case would come to the floor of the Congress. Our whole program in my opinion would be emasculated." Which is pretty much what Judge Smith had in mind, and he was not backing down an inch. "The Rules Committee issue," he said, "is not negotiable."

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