708 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEJ ON SCIENCI WD TECHNOLOGY 



The significant effects of the Teague-McCormack testimony and the 

 behind-the-scenes work of Dr. Sheldon emerge in this comment by the 

 Boiling committee: 



In energy researc h and development particularly, the committee has taken strong 

 initiative and undertaken significant preparatory work. 



The March report of the Boiling committee was duly circulated 

 and publicized. Intensive work began to line up support. Symington 

 wrote Boiling: 



I think it is a landmark effort where both fools and angels fear to tread, thus 

 opening the way for a natural man who wants to see his country governed more 

 rationally. For this you are to be congratulated and thanked. 



Wydler, fascinated by the prospects of an interesting floor fight ahead, 

 wrote Boiling: 



I look forward to a consideration of the House committee organization on the 

 floor. It will certainly be exciting and I'm sure it will be a moment of high drama. 

 Nothing seems to generate emotion as much as committee jurisdiction 



DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS TORPEDOES PLAN 



On May 9, 1974, the Democratic caucus assembled to consider 

 the Boiling committee recommendations. Teague chaired the raucous 

 caucus debate. Unlike formal proceedings in the House of Represen- 

 tatives, he had no experienced parliamentarian by his side to advise 

 him concerning rules, precedents and points of order. The opposition 

 to the Boiling report was a strange coalition of every committee mem- 

 ber who felt his jurisdiction was being reduced, plus ambitious Mem- 

 bers who saw the recommendations as disturbing their power bases. 

 Labor fought the plan because it divided the Education and Labor 

 Committee, and numerous other special interests joined the fight to 

 defeat a plan they felt might upset their influence. Three experienced 

 infighters teamed up to gouge the Boiling plan: Representatives Phillip 

 Burton (Democrat of California), Wayne L. Hays (Democrat of Ohio), 

 and John D. Dingell (Democrat of Michigan.) 



Defeat of the Boiling plan in the Democratic caucus turned on an 

 unfortunate ruling by Caucus Chairman Teague. After some heavy 

 artillery had been fired at Boiling, Burton moved to refer the entire 

 matter to the Democratic Committee on Organization, Study, and 

 Review, headed by Representative Julia B. Hansen (Democrat of Wash- 

 ington.) Mrs. Hansen chaired a committee which had made several 

 reports on the seniority system and committee operation in the past. 

 Burton asked for a secret vote on the referral motion, and Boiling 

 immediately asked for a rollcall on whether the vote should be secret. 

 This was a crucial point, because there were some Democrats who 

 secretly opposed the Boiling recommendations, but were publicly 



