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1961 — Preparing for Attacks

Continuity of Congress, a hot-button issue in 2004, was certainly on the minds of Members in 1961. But the threat then was nuclear, and the perceived solution Congress was considering, as Roll Call reported (above), was fallout shelters. The plea for shelters ran across the top of Roll Call’s front page on Aug. 30, 1961.

In the same issue was a threat of a different nature — improper attire in the Capitol. Apparently, some constituents of Kansas Rep. Walter McVey were concerned that “scantily- and sloppily-attired females” could cause harm to Members of Congress.

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