XIV HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



XII. Science, Research and Technology, 1970-79- Con. ? age 



Flowers makes last plea for geographic distribution . 539 



Floor debate on NSF authorization in 1978 .... 540 



Arc those NSF grants really so silly? 541 



The rationale for basic research 542 



The subcommittee in 1979 543 



The NSF in 1979 544 



Growth in research funding 545 



The need for basic research 546 



Crazy-sounding grants 546 



Department of Education and NSF education 



programs 547 



Basic charter of the National Science Foundation . 549 



Office of Technology Assessment, 1970-79 .... 549 



Los Angeles-San Francisco hearings 550 



Symington and the Missouri hearings 551 



A rider to the Legislative Reorganization Act . . . 552 



Penetrating questions by Wydler 552 



Unanimous committee support for OTA bill . . . 554 



Hurry, hurry! 555 



Interest in technology assessment mounts . . 556 



Surprise 556 



Preparing for the floor debate 557 



The Henderson and Brooks amendments . . . 558 



OTA bill passes with Brooks amendments. . . 559 



President signs OTA Act 560 



Growing pains and personality problems . . 562 



Other OTA problems involve the subcommittee 563 



The Teague report 564 



Conclusions on OTA 565 



Fire research and development 565 



Low priority treatment 566 



Congressman Steele carries the ball . 568 



Miller throws a block 568 



'"America Burning" 569 



Expanded fire safety legislation passed in 1974 571 



Doubling the authorization 572 



Flippo and Hollenbeck urge aggressive action . . 573 



Authorization for fire prevention in 1979 5/4 



Standard Reference Data System 575 



Practical applications 575 



Oversight of National Bureau of Standards .... 576 



Voluntary standards 5// 



