Crackdown on Lobbies

Last week Congress proposed a joint resolution to make a "full and complete investigation of all lobbying activities intended to influence, encourage, or retard legislation." Backed by the Democratic party, this step would presumably also carry the approval and support of the Justice Department and of President Truman, who sharply attacked lobbying activities in the Eightieth Congress during his campaign last summer.

Contrary to the President's hopes, lobbying in the Eighty-First Congress has been vigorous. Strong pressure groups have opposed extention of rent control, fought pending action on labor legislation, and skirmished heatedly in the recent issue of national health insurance. Congressmen react varyingly to these outside influences. Nevertheless there appears to be considerable feeling in Washington that the present lobby law, placed on the books three years ago, has reached the change of life and is now becoming impotent. This law requires registration of lobbyists and imposes heavy fines on those who fail to comply. Difficulty has arisen, however, in determining who is a lobbyist and who is not. As a result there has been much manhandling, and some outright evasion, of the lobby law.

The new investigation proposes to clear up such ambiguities. There will be some difficulty in clarifying the issue of identifying lobbies. Nevertheless Congress is determined to have a mind of its own, and the proposal augurs well the achieving of this end.