Speech #820150645

Of 844 written reports submitted in the Senate by all committees. the Judiciary Committee has submitted 466. which represents 55.2 rrcent. The total of reports made to the Senate does not give the whole picture of committee activity. because committee consideration of many bills resulted in adverse action and indefinite postponement. Furthermore. the committee has handled and disposed of more than 3.646 individual immigration cases involving suspension of deportation. and 1.190 cases involving adjustment of status under section 4 of the Displaced Persons Act. as amended. Each case is equivalent to a bill. Through September 30. 1951. during the EightySecond Congress. the Judiciary Committee has received 1.244 Senate bills and resolutions and 369 House bills and resolutions. making a total of 1.613 bills and resolutions. As of September 30. 1951. the committee had disposed of 562 Senate bills and resolutions and 317 House bills and resolutions. or a total of 879 bills and resolutionj. Of the bills thus disposed of. 69 were general bills other than claims or immigration. 242 were private relief bills. 555 were private immigration bills. 6 were general claims bills. and 7 were general immigration bills. Committee approval was granted to 242 Senate bills and resolutions and 225 House bills and resolutions. or a total of 467 bills and resolutions of both Houses. It should be noted that written reports were filed by the committee with respect to all but one of the 467 bills and resolutions approved. Of the bills and resolutions acted upon favorably. 51 were general bills other than claims or immigration. 122 were private relief bills. 286 were private immigration bills. 3 were general claims bills. and 5 were general immigration bills. Bills postponed indefinitely by the committee included 320 Senate bills and resolutions. 92 House bills and resolutions. or a total of 412 bills and resolutions of both houses. Of the bills thus acted upon unfavorably. 18 were general bills other than claims or immigration. 120 were private relief bills. 269 were private immigration bills. 3 were general claims bills. and 2 were general immigration bills. Measures pending before the committee as of September 30. 1951. included 682 Senate bills and resolutions and 52 House bills and resolutions. or a total of 734 bills and resolutions of both Houses. Of these bills. 141 are general bills other than immigration and claims. 114 are private relief bills. 443 are private immigration bills. 18 are general claims bills. and 18 are general immigration bills. Committee action. in most cases. must await reports from interested departments and agencies in the executive branch. As of September 30. 1951. the number of bills and resolutions pending before the committee with respect to which reports have been requested but not received was 417. of which 31 were general bills other than claims or immigration. 35 were private relief bills. 336 were private immigration bills. 8 were general claims bills. and 7 were general immigration bills. Thus it will be seen that out of the 1613 bills and resolutions referred to the committee. the number of cases in which the committee has not acted but in which the committee either had received the reports or deemed reports unnecessary. totaled 317. of which 110 were general bills other than claims or immigration. 79 were private relief bills. 107 were private immigration bills: 10 were general claims bills. and 11 were general immigration bills. It will be noted the committee has disposed of 317 House bills and resolutions out of 369 such measures referred to it. leaving only 52 House bills and resolutions pending as of September 30. This means the committee took action on 85.9 percent of all House measures received. In comparison. out of 1.244 Senate bills and resolutions referred to it. the committee acted upon 562. leaving 682 Senate bills and resolutions pending. This means that. although the committee had to start from scratch in all such cases. action was taken on 45.1 percent of all Senate measures received. Suspensions of deportation by the Attorney General and adjustments of status under section 4 of the Displaced Persons Act. as amended. are. under authority delegated by the Congress. reported to the Congress in groups. but in the committee. each such individual case requires separate investigation. appraisal. and action. At the beginning of the Eightysecond Congress. there were pending in the committee 2.761 cases of suspension of deportation. to which were added 6.761 additional cases submitted since the beginning of the Congress. making a total of 9.522 cases. of which 3.646 were approved. 527 were held for further consideration. 27 were withdrawn by the Attorney General. leaving 5.322 cases in process as of September 30. 1951. At the beginning of the Eightysecond Congress. there were pending 845 cases of adjustment of status under section 4 of the Displaced Persons Act. as amended. to which were added 1.511 additional cases submitted during this Congress. making a total of 2.356 cases. of which 1.190 were approved and 7 were withdrawn by the Attorney General. leaving 1.159 cases in process as of September 30. 1951. Through September 30. 1951. the committee received C3 Executive nominations. of which 22 were Federal judges. 29 were United States district attorneys. 21 were United States marshals. 1 was Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization. 1 was Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 1 was Deputy Attorney General. 1 was an Assistant Attorney General. 2 were Examiner in Chief. Board of Appeals. United States Patent Office. and 5 were members of the Subversive Activities Control Board.