Senate Body Puts Morse Anti-bias Amendment into Mutual Security Bill

An amendment branding as “repugnant” discrimination such as is practiced by Saudi Arabia against American Jews was incorporated today into a new Mutual Security appropriations bill by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The amendment was originally proposed by Sen. Wayne Morse, Oregon Democrat. Its adoption by the Appropriations Committee indicated great likelihood it will be passed by the full Senate as part of the basic bill and subsequently retained by the joint House-Senate conference.

When the Appropriations Committee acted on the anti-bias measure, little opposition emerged from committee members despite previous evidence of State Department reluctance. Some modification was made in Sen. Morse’s proposed stronger wording. But the adopted measure nevertheless expressed the sense of Congress against foreign religious or racial discrimination against Americans and provided for White House discretion in dealing with bias in instances when nations are receiving United States funds.

Sen. Morse introduced his amendment earlier this session as part of a Mutual Security authorization bill, The amendment was defeated by a narrow margin. Sen. Morse expressed the view that it would have passed had more Senators been familiar with details of the issue involving discrimination by Saudi Arabia against-Americans of Jewish faith.

In August, Senator Morse offered the amendment a new to the Appropriations Committee when that body took up the new Mutual Security appropriations bill. He obtained bi-partisan support.

The wording in the bill reported out today by the Appropriations Committee would declare it “the sense of Congress that any attempt by foreign nations to create distinctions because of their religion or race among American citizens in the granting of personal or commercial access or any other rights otherwise available to United States citizens generally is repugnant to our principles and in all negotiations between the United States and any foreign state, arising as a result of funds appropriated under this act, these principles shall be applied as the President may determine.”