Although—following the hearing before the Senate Committee, on May 15—the Chairman, Senator Jones of New Mexico, was unanimously instructed to make a report on the Amendment, he failed to do so. When so requested by the Woman’s Party, he refused. After three months the minority (Republican) leaders of the Committee, led by Senator Cummins of Iowa, and backed by Senator Jones of Washington and Senator Johnson of California, attempted to get the Suffrage Amendment on the Senate Calendar by discharging the Senate Suffrage Committee from its further consideration. In his own defense, Senator Jones of New Mexico pleaded lack of time and desire to make a report that would be “a contribution to the cause.” Another Democratic member, Senator Hollis of New Hampshire, brought forward the picketing of the Suffragists as a reason for withholding the report. He expressed the amazing reason for not acting, his fear that this “active group of Suffragists” would focus public attention and “get credit.” The Chairman of the Committee who had neglected week after week to make the report which he had been authorized to make by the Committee, was finally galvanized into action by a visit to the imprisoned pickets at Occoquan. Immediately, September 15, he made his report to the Senate. On September 24, the creation of the House Suffrage Committee came up for heated debate in the House of Representatives, though its passage was a foregone conclusion. Of course, there was much discussion of the picketing which was still going on. Many of the speakers harped on the note that this late action in regard to the creation of a committee, which the Woman’s Party had been working for ever since 1913, would be interpreted by the country as being the result of the picketing. This was a quaint argument on their part, because of course, it _was_ the result of the picketing. Why else would it have come so swiftly? During this discussion, Mr. Pou, the Chairman, made the following statement: I want to say in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, that this is no proposition to pack the Committee for a particular purpose. The friends of this resolution have distinctly stated time and again that they do not expect action at this session of Congress (first session of the Sixty-fifth Congress). The appointment of a Committee only is asked; but after this Committee is appointed, in the next Congress they expect to go before the people of America, and if the returns justify, then in the Sixty-sixth Congress, they will ask for Congressional action. This boiled down meant of course there was no intention of passing the Suffrage Amendment before the Sixty-sixth Congress. However, the Administration was to reverse its policy on this point less than three months later. The House Suffrage Committee was created by a vote of one hundred and eighty-one yeas and one hundred and seven nays. ------------------------------------------------------------------------