972 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Brown countered: 



I must say to the gentleman that the activities of the Weather Bureau and the 

 other activities regarding weather, which arc historic activities of the U.S. Govern- 

 ment, are among the most cost-effective activities conducted by the Government. 



The bill passed on a roll call vote by 292-91. Among committee 

 opponents were Conlan, Lloyd of Tennessee, Myers, and Wvdler. 

 Despite the negative signals sent out from the White House, as noted, 

 the President signed the bill into law on October 13, 1976. 



NATIONAL CLIMATE PROGRAM 



Laying the basis for future legislation in the 95th Congress, the 

 Brown subcommittee tackled the subject of climatic change, and in 

 particular a bill introduced by Hayes to create a national climate 

 program. The Hayes bill was based on recommendations made by the 

 National Academy of Sciences in 1974, and repeated in reports made 

 by the President's Domestic Council and Central Intelligence Agency 

 (CIA). The CIA report warned that "the new climatic era brings a 

 promise of famine and starvation to many areas of the world." Brown's 

 subcommittee was moved to act also by dramatic events like the 

 Russian wheat failure, the loss of Peruvian anchovy fisheries and severe 

 drought, such as in the African Sahel. The subcommittee summoned 

 Federal officials and scientific experts to help inform Congress and the 

 public of recent developments in our understanding of the climate, the 

 advances made possible by new technology, what was being accom- 

 plished in climate research and monitoring, and the possibilities of 

 establishing a national climate program. Beyond the six days of 

 Washington hearings, the subcommittee visited various NOAA field 

 research facilities, including the National Severe Storms Laboratory in 

 Norman, Okla.; the Environmental Research Laboratory and the 

 National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo.; and the 

 Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, Mo. 



Despite the wide support for the Hayes bill, it was decided to 

 defer action on the legislation until the succeeding Congress when 

 it was hoped that more backing could be generated. 



LONG-RANGE PLANNING 



The oversight program of the Brown subcommittee in 1976 also 

 extended to joint hearings with the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wild- 

 life Conservation and Environment of the Merchant Marine Committee 

 on the subject of "Long Range Planning in the Federal Government." 

 It was during the course of these unique joint hearings that Brown met 

 James W. "Skip" Spcnsley, then Counsel to the Fisheries Subcom- 



