TASK FORCE AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY, 1971-74 557 



idea gave promise of not only becoming more important within the 

 Congress, but also furnishing an opportunity for McCormack to exert 

 some early personal leadership. 



THE TASK FORCE ON ENERGY 



The combination of these two factors prompted McCormack to 

 seek an early meeting with Davis. He found Davis to be very receptive 

 to the idea of forming a group to tackle the energy issue. As a result 

 of his experience with the hard jurisdictional fight over Fulton's 

 select committee, McCormack came up with the concept of a "task 

 force". Working under the umbrella of the Davis subcommittee, such 

 a task force would not require any formal statute or resolution, thereby 

 avoiding any open jurisdictional fights. 



Davis suggested that they should enlist Teague's help, even 

 though in 1971 Miller was the committee chairman. About that time, 

 McCormack mentioned the idea to Dr. J. Thomas Ratchford, who 

 was serving as staff to the Davis subcommittee. Dr. Ratchford expressed 

 his great interest in the idea. When Miller was approached, he was 

 generally negative toward doing anything as radical as McCormack 

 proposed. At that stage, Miller was not eager to move fast or make 

 anv waves, and he reacted much the same way as he had when a Sub- 

 committee on International Cooperation and a separate minority staff 

 had been suggested: he was opposed, period. He did go along with 

 McCormack 's suggestion that a detailed written memorandum be 

 prepared and forwarded to him on the subject. 



How to overcome Miller's opposition? McCormack asked Teague 

 and also the chairman of the House Public Works Committee on which 

 he was serving, Representative John Blatnik (Democrat of Minne- 

 sota). They also favored spelling out the idea in concrete, written 

 form, which McCormack did in a letter and memorandum to Miller, 

 dated July 1, 1971. 



A PROPOSAL TO CHAIRMAN MILLER 



The letter in full read as follows: 



Dear Mr. Chairman: You will recall that I recently discussed with you the 

 possibility of the creation of a task force to study and report on the research and 

 development requirements associated with future national energy needs. Such a task 

 force would operate under the authority of the Subcommittee on Science, Research 

 and Development. 



I have followed your suggestion and prepared a work sheet to describe this 

 proposal, and I have attached a copy of the work sheet to this note. I would appre- 

 ciate your considering it at your leisure so that I may discuss it with you at your 

 convenience in the near future. 



