532 HISTORY OF I HI ( OMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Senator Kennedy believes that adequate safeguards were put into their most recent 

 offer to deal with \lr. McCormack's concerns. 



It is now a matter ol seeing who "blinks first." Unless they — or we — move off of 

 our present positions within the next few days, it will be difficult to get an author- 

 ization bill through before the end of the session. 



Ycager followed up on September 21 by reporting to Teague: 



Our last meeting of the House conferees on this matter was held September 1. 

 At that time it was agreed to stand fast with Mr. McCormack's position for two 

 weeks in the event that his suggested amendment was unacceptable to the Senate. The 

 Senate is saying flatly that they will not go along with Mr. McCormack's amend 

 ment. Meanwhile, three weeks have gone by. * * * It is important for us to file our 

 conference report before the end of this week. 



The conference finally agreed on the NSF authorization language, 

 with McCormack declining to sign the report. Mosher made this 

 statement to the House during consideration of the conference report 

 on September 29: 



This science for citizens program will provide the seed money for recognized 

 professional societies and groups to undertake special projects aimed at increasing the 

 public's understanding of science, engineering and technology and their impact on 

 public policies. * * * The conferees recognized that this program might potentially 

 be skewed to support the activities of so-called zealot groups advocating particular 

 views on topical issues. But, I assure all, that the science for citizens program cer- 

 tainly is not intended as a vehicle for those who have "an axe to grind." It is intended 

 to increase public awareness and understanding. 



The protracted fight over the issues in the NSF authorization, 

 particularly the impasse developing on the science for citizens program, 

 nearly killed the bill in 1976. The conference report was not enacted 

 until two days before the end of the fiscal year and just a week before 

 the adjournment of Congress. The delay revealed the bitterness of the 

 fight over citizen access to government, the determination of some 

 legislators, and the fear of others to extend that process. 



THORNTON BECOMES SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN IN 1977 



With the convening of the 95th Congress in 1977, the Subcom- 

 mittee on Science, Research and Technology had its fourth chairman 

 during the decade: Representative Ray Thornton (Democrat of Ar- 

 kansas). The size of the subcommittee went down from 18 in the prior 

 Congress to 10 in the 95th. 



Democrats Republicans 



Ray Thornton, Arkansas, Chairman Harold C. Hollenbeck, Newjersev 



uqua, Florida Robert K. Dornan, California 



Tom Harkin, Iowa Edwin D. Forsvthe, Newjerse) 



Robert Boh Kruegcr, Texas 

 Ronnie G. Flippo, Alabama 

 Mike McCormack, Washington 



gc E. Brown, Jr., California 



