May 6, 1964 - The U.S. Senate defeated two compromise amendments tonight in the dramatic first balloting of the marathon civil rights debate. The action gave the Democratic leadership its first victories in 49 days of talk and controversy.
The first vote, 46-45, came less than two hours after President Johnson threatened to call Congress back after the political conventions, if necessary, to get action on his civil rights bill and other priority measures.
At his press conference, the President was asked directly if he planned to hold Congress in session, regardless of the GOP convention in July and that of the Democrats in August.
If the rights bill is not acted upon, he said, and “some cynical people” think there will be efforts to slow down a vote or prevent any final voting at all, “I am giving serious consideration to their coming back after the Republican convention and, if necessary, after the Democratic convention.”
The first balloting came on an amendment offered by Senator Thruston Morton (R-Ky.). This would have required a jury trial in criminal civil rights contempt cases if this were demanded by the accused.
In the first ballot, the amendment was defeated by a 45-45 tie vote. Senator Richard Russell (D-Ga.), leader of the Southern bloc, immediately demanded a recount of the vote. This confirmed the 45-45 tally.
Then, Senate Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield called for reconsideration of the vote, a parliamentary move to nail it down. Senate GOP Leader Everett Dirksen (Ill.) intervened with a motion to table the amendment. This failed on a 46-45 vote.
The Senate then voted to reconsider the 45-45 ballot.
This wiped out the first votes, and the Morton amendment was called up again. This time, the Senate defeated it on a 46-45 roll call vote.
Later, the Senators defeated an amendment by Senator Sherman Cooper (R-Ky.) which would have allowed a judge to decide whether state or local officials should have jury trials in contempt cases arising out of the bill. The vote was 74-19.
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