I am old enough to remember politics in the 1950's and 60's. In those days, the Democrat party ran Congress, as the had since the 1930's. Most committees were chaired by Southern Democrats. The Speaker of the House was a Texas Democrat, Sam Rayburn from Texas. The majority leader of the Senate was Lyndon Johnson another Democrat from Texas. The Committee chairs were nearly all Southern Democrats names like Stennis frm Mississippi, Russel from Georgia, Fulbright from Arkansas, Gore from Tennessee, and Byrd from Virginia.
They were all FDR New Dealers and they all loved Federal Pork as long as you let them have segregation at home.
I find it shocking when I hear people (mostly young people) talk about how the Southern States have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern welfare state. People should just look at the facts - the facts eighty years ago and the facts today.
That must be why the Conservative coalition was famous for thwarting FDR. But why let facts intrude on your story?
While the South had many New Deal supporters it also had many conservatives opposed to the expansion of federal power. Among their leaders were Senators Harry Byrd and Carter Glass of Virginia and Vice President John Nance Garner of Texas. U.S. Senator Josiah Bailey (D-NC) released a "Conservative Manifesto" in December 1937, which included several statements of conservative philosophical tenets, including the line "Give enterprise a chance, and I will give you the guarantees of a happy and prosperous America." The document called for a balanced federal budget, state's rights, and an end to labor union violence and coercion. Over 100,000 copies were distributed and it marked a turning point in terms of congressional support for New Deal legislation.