552 HISTORY OF THE COMMUTE] ON S< IEN< E AND TECHNOLOGY 



of technology assessment was "to preserve and improve the social 

 and physical environment.'' He added: 



Our hope for correcting earlier mistakes which have resulted in, among other 

 things, the polluted air and water which surround us, lies at least in part in the further 

 exploitation of science and technology. We must assure ourselves that the medicine 

 is not worse than the disease! 



A RIDER TO THE LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT 



By July, the subcommittee had perfected an 18-page bill. Now all 

 the clearances had been made. The careful groundwork had been com- 

 pleted. Suddenly, the mood in the subcommittee became optimistic. 

 Even though it was fairly late in the session, why not canvass the 

 possibilities for getting the bill considered by the 91st Congress? 

 A likely vehicle suddenly appeared: The Legislative Reorganization 

 Act, which grew out of an earlier report of the Monroney-Madden 

 joint committee and was scheduled for House action in the summer of 

 1970. Daddano and his staff concocted plans to try and attach the 

 OTA bill as an amendment to the legislative reorganization proposal. 

 Extensive discussions were held with the House Parliamentarian and 

 with members of the Committee on Rules, which was handling the 

 reorganization issue on the floor. 



On July 13, Daddario and Mosher sent out a very detailed "Dear 

 Colleague" letter, leading off with this sentence: 



We ask your support for an amendment which will he offered this week to the 

 proposed Legislative Reorganization Act, the purpose of the amendment being to 

 provide the Congress with a genuine early warning system for the assessment of 

 developing technology. 



The House consideration of the reorganization bill was delayed several 

 times, giving Chairman Miller the chance to get full committee ap- 

 proval of the OTA bill on August 6. 



PENETRATING QUESTIONS BY WYDLER 



Although the full committee eventually cleared the bill unani- 

 mously, there were some skeptical questions from Wydler, who later 

 was named a member of the Technology Assessment Board. Davis 

 handled the bill in Daddario's absence. When Davis had finished his 

 explanation of the bill, he had a few choice exchanges with Wydler: 



Mr. Wydler. I am sorry, Mr. Davis. We arc going to set up a group of men and 

 they will do exactly what? For instance, you state here they could have a great value 

 to us and the country in things such as the TFX controversy, the anti-ballistic missile 

 problems, chemical and biological warfare. What could this group do with these types 

 of problems? 



Mr. Davis. Each ol these controversies— the TFX, ABM, chemical and biol igi al 

 warfare — has a tremendous scientific and engineering component. There can be no 



