432 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



an incredible abundance of riches, I think our main problem is going to be to focus 

 in on some kind of ranking by priority of what we want to do first, second and third. 



JURISDICTIONAL PROBLEMS 



Scheucr remarked also that he was "keen on doing something 

 (in) international cooperation in the area of nuclear theft, blackmail, 

 hijacking, terrorism, assassination, kidnapping and the like." His 

 mode of operation was to barge ahead, regardless of jurisdictional 

 problems, urging joint hearings or joint action with other committees 

 where possible but getting the job done in any event. It did not dis- 

 courage Schcuer one whit to run into opposition, as he did on the issue 

 of nuclear theft. 



Chairman Melvin Price (Democrat of Illinois) of the House Armed 

 Services Committee and several other members protested to Teague, 

 following publication of a Jack Anderson column that the Scheuer 

 subcommittee was planning an investigation of possible theft of 

 nuclear weapons. Teague informed Scheuer: 



I have assured Chairman Price that neither the Committee on Science and Tech- 

 nology nor any of its Subcommittees will undertake any investigation relative to the 

 security of nuclear weapons — a subject clearly under the jurisdiction of his Com- 

 mittee. * * * It is incumbent upon your Subcommittee to coordinate closely with 

 those Committees prior to making a public announcement of these activities and to 

 insure full cooperation and no misunderstanding of intentions. In the future, I want 

 to be kept fully informed on the status of our cooperative initiatives as well as the 

 progress of your activities. 



Thereafter, Scheuer kept closely and personally in touch with Teague 

 on the many activities in which the subcommittee engaged, and 

 Teague backed him up in his many efforts to get into new initiatives 

 in oversight. Although poles apart in their political views, Teague 

 and Scheuer had the kind of mutual regard which prompted Scheuer 

 to write Teague on December 24, 1978: 



While we may have held different political views from time to time, I and others 

 always could rely upon your fairness, dedication, integrity, and deep understanding 

 of the Congress as a place where the people's business must be conducted and con- 

 flicting ideas must be reconciled in peaceful ways. It would be my hope that newer, 

 younger Members of Congress would look to you and your career as a way of under- 

 standing what it takes to become a great legislator. 



LAW OF THE SEA CONFERENCE 



One of the first issues tackled by the subcommittee in 1977 was 

 an oversight review of the past progress and future prospects for the 

 Third United Nations Law of the Sea Conference, which met in May. 

 The subcommittee held three days' hearings at the end of April, re- 

 viewing oceanographic research and seabed mining, among other topics. 

 Committee staff member Leslie Loflin assisted with the hearings. 



