MO II 11 I.IKI AN OLD FOSSI1 FUEL 337 



Jim Wright tried to get the restive House to focus on the main 

 issue: 



Inexorably, |ust .is certainly .is the Sun is going to set in the West this evening, 

 the United States is running out of oil and gas. * * * This is .1 vote for our children 

 and our grandchildren and tor the future economic independence of the United States 

 * * * It we procrastinate and quarrel and delay, we shall condemn the next generation 

 to a drastically declining standard of living. 



While all the speechmaking was going on, the opposition had a 

 very effective whip system in operation. Hechler lined up the Black 

 Caucus solidly in opposition, Ottinger worked on the Democratic 

 Study Group, Goldwater helped mobilize Republicans, and others 

 stirred up all those favoring decontrol of oil and natural gas to defeat 

 the rule. Freshman Democrat Hayes grabbed a microphone and 

 called a quorum. "Why did you do that; you're destroying our momen- 

 tum," one of the ringleaders charged. Hayes whispered: "Ray Madden 

 is ready to give us a stemwinder; I want to get him an audience," 

 Hayes confided. 



RAY MADDEN AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER 



The Chamber was hushed as Madden delivered what was to be his 

 valedictory after over 30 years' service. Shaking his silver hair for 

 emphasis, his voice quavering with anger and scorn, Madden heaped 

 sarcasm on the bill, which he said "could increase the national debt 

 by over a billion dollars." Throwing away his prepared remarks, he 

 took some sharp, personal jabs at Teague for threatening to hold up 

 proceedings in the House unless the Rules Committee would vote out 

 the legislation. He ripped into the special favors granted to big oil 

 companies and concluded by stating : 



Lovable old Sam Rayburn said, "Look out for those turkeys." And this is not 

 only a turkev, it's a gobbler. 



On the Democratic side, about 50 Members gave Madden a 

 standing ovation after his six-minute effort. Shortly thereafter, the 

 recorded vote started. The tension rose as it seesawed back and forth. 



Outside the House Chamber in the corridors, absolute bedlam 

 reigned as lobbyists, staff members, and friends lined up to shout 

 instructions at Members as they ran the gauntlet and struggled to get 

 through the crush to reach the House floor. The President of Liberia 

 was scheduled to address a joint meeting of the House and Senate at 

 12 noon. With the House convening at 10 a.m., it was a race against 

 the clock to determine whether debate on the rule could be concluded 

 and a vote taken prior to the time it was necessary to clear the Chamber 



