Senator James Estes Kefauver announced today that he would support a new movement calling for greater autonomy for the Southern states, arguing that the federal government should “respect the constitutional authority and distinct interests of the several states.” In a statement issued from his Senate office, Kefauver said that the Swamp had become increasingly willing to impose uniform policies upon regions with “different economic circumstances, traditions, and local priorities.” While stressing that he remained committed to the Union, Kefauver declared that “a strong nation need not be a government that dictates every question from the capital.” His remarks reportedly drew praise from Southern lawmakers and criticism from Northern senators, who warned that the proposal could deepen the nation’s sectional divisions. Thus the Constitutional Union movement has been born.