CHAPTER V 



Science, Research and Development, 1963-69 



The year 1963 brought many changes to the Committee on Science 

 and Astronautics. The NASA budget request soared again from $3.7 

 billion up to $5.7 billion, but then for the first time serious opposition 

 was mounted in the Congress against the Moon program as well as the 

 balance of the space budget. Several new Members joined the committee 

 in 1963, including Representative Don Fuqua (Democrat of Florida) 

 and Representative John Wydler (Republican of New York) who 16 

 years later had risen to become chairman and ranking minority mem- 

 bers of the committee. Also in that year Majority Leader, and later 

 Speaker, Carl Albert began the first of four years of service on the com- 

 mittee, modestly accepting a seat on the bottom rung of the seniority 

 ladder. Albert joined the committee at the request of both President 

 Kennedy and Speaker of the House John W. McCormack. "President 

 Kennedy wanted me to go on the committee because he was very 

 interested in his 10-year Moon project," Albert relates. And 

 McCormack, who had been on the committee as Majority Leader, 

 was eager to have Majority Leader Albert continue the tradition. When 

 he became Speaker, Albert also took a strong and active interest in the 

 work of the Science Committee. 



The death of President Kennedy and the accession of Vice President 

 Johnson did not have a material effect on the committee's mode of 

 operation or influence, even though it was President Kennedy who 

 dramatically focused national and world attention on the manned 

 lunar landing program. The Apollo program still constituted the 

 biggest chunk of the annual authorization bill with which the com- 

 mittee had to wrestle. President Johnson, as one of the architects of the 

 1958 NASA legislation, had a paternal interest in both the space 

 program and scientific development in general. In addition to his many 

 visits to space installations and personal encouragement given to the 

 astronauts, President Johnson steadfastly supported the efforts of the 

 Science Committee — at least until the budget squeeze caused by the war 

 in Vietnam. 



One of the most significant developments within the committee 

 in 1963 was the establishment of the Subcommittee on Science, Re- 

 search and Development, chaired by Representative Emilio Q. 

 Daddario (Democrat of Connecticut). 



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