Show I i CONGRESS A WEAK GOVERNING LINK Autumn has arrived and Congress has d departed parted tor Ule hustings That it sho should have done this without acting on most of the Presidents President's recommendations for funding government operations in the fiscal year begun three weeks ago is a disservice to the nation and its economy Yet there Is no assurance that the long long- delayed money bills will be passed quick quick- quickly quickly ly during the week three lame duck ses- ses session session sion of Congress to be convened Nov 29 If perchance Democrats make enough gains in the coming elections to give them better margins in the Senate or House or both their strategy may well be to pass over the more con con- controversial controversial appropriations bills until the Congress Convenes in January when they would have a better chance of overriding any presidential vetoes IMPACT ON BUSINESS Such procrastination for whatever reason reason-is harmful to business and to public confidence Although more sophisticated in some respects than in earlier years the attitude of Congress toward budget matters is still amazing amazing- amazingly ly casual and totally unworthy of a deliberative body in which the Con Con- Constitution Constitution has vested the power of the public purse Coupled with the vaunted propensity of Congress to overspend U this cavalier air with respect to the national budget weakens the efficacy of legisla- legisla legislation legislation tion at the federal level Latest economic data indicate that the embryo business recovery is just that and has not yet progressed beyond a quite tentative stage Public confidence is conspicuous by its absence except in inthe Inthe the stock market with the beginnings of betterment in the economy not yet clinched Six weeks ago it was thought that lower interest rates would bring a turn for the better in consumer buying and spark a business recovery Interest rates did come down but unemployment worsen worsen- worsened worsened ed Net result No N appreciable improve improve- improvement improvement ment in consumer buying though federal withholding taxes were reduced and Social Security payments boosted July 1 Why Partly because of the uncertainty I II over what Congress will do about spen- spen spending spending I ding for the current 83 fiscal year ear and 1 beyond SPASMODIC GUIDANCE Although Congress is a weak linkin the governing triumvirate Executive Legislative and Judicial Judicial-in Washington especially in budget matters it is not wholly to blame for the consequences Presidential proposals even when en- en enthusiastically sent to Capitol Hill for con con- consideration are all too seldom followed up consistently Hence they are often not taken seriously or just do not attract the measure of support they might with a forceful White House through follow Nor does Congress receive from the public enough expressions of Interest in particular legislation to be of real help helpin helpin in guiding it toward sensible popularly accepted legislation This kind of public expression especially when encumbered by the emotional heat generated by exIra ex- ex extra Ira tra controversial topics would be helpful to Congress not only in arriving at specific but in speeding up the entire legislative process Sometimes it itIs itis Is not forthcoming because of public in- in inertia inertia ertia or because citizen opinion is unformed WHAT T LIES AHEAD The economy will fare better in the months just ahead but the improvement will not come with l a bang President Reagans Reagan's economic program appears to tobe tobe be in a shambles his influence on Capitol Hill HUl and around the nation watered down from a year ago Hence there will probably be more Democrats in Congress next year than there are now Yet progress will wUl still stUl be made toward many conservative Reagan goals albeit sometimes fitfully His block grant and new federaliSm ideas have wider appeal than appears on the surface Despite recession and unemployment the hard hardcore hardcore core of his following is pretty well intact no matter what you hear about right right- wing defections |