886 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Breeder Experimental Test Reactor. Regarding his proposed facility, 

 McCormack explained : 



It would be larger than Clinch River. This is one of the points that the adminis- 

 tration has been making and probably large enough to make the appropriate engineer- 

 ing decisions necessary to go commercial when we need to, by 1990. * * * 



The second paragraph of the amendment says that if the first paragraph is adopted 

 then we go ahead and phase out Clinch River and we abandon it and close it out. 



Flowers responded: 



I rise in strong opposition to the gentleman's amendment. I am a little astounded 

 that he is offering it. * * * I don't think there is anybody in industry or utilities or 

 government in favor of building another Fast Flux Test Facility just to make sure 

 that they have something at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 



mrs. Lloyd's amendment prevails 



The McCormack amendment passed by the narrowest of margins, 

 20-19. It seemed evident to many members at this point that some of 

 the 19 votes were being cast out of personal loyalty to Chairman 

 Teague, rather than genuine desire to give up on the CRBR. Some of 

 these 19 frankly favored the chance to vote for Mrs. Lloyd's original 

 amendment which had lost only because of Wydler's absence from the 

 committee room. So there was a move to reconsider the vote on Mrs. 

 Lloyd's amendment, which then carried by 25-14. To the $172.5 million 

 in her amendment for continuing the CRBR, Mrs. Lloyd had also added 

 $35 million for a nuclear breeder study like the one called for under 

 the Flowers compromise. 



The debate — raucous, bitter and fraught with many exaggera- 

 tions — was not without its occasional humor. When Flowers noted 

 that both the environmentalists and nuclear advocates opposed his 

 amendment, Teague asked: 



Which environmentalists on the committee are against the amendment? I was 

 informed the environmentalists on this committee will vote for it. 



McCormack boomed: 



Mr. Chairman, I am an environmentalist. I consider myself to be as much an 

 environmentalist as anyone, and I oppose the Flowers amendment. 



Teague rather drily observed: 



I think there are some members of this committee who would not consider you 

 an environmentalist. 



This caused McCormack to charge into action : 



Mr. Chairman, I will not take second place to anyone in my support for environ- 

 mental protection. That's what the breeder program is all about -providing the most 

 environmentally acceptable, safe, clean, cheap energy. I am not going to stand by 



