984 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



But subcommittee efforts went forward to line up support for the 

 bill, and Brown received good support later from OSTP Director 

 Frank Press. On March 22, 1977, Brown hosted a roundtable, informal 

 meeting, at which representatives of about a dozen Federal agencies 

 were present. Brown told the roundtable participants: 



Having barely survived the winter of '77, it is perhaps dwelling on the obvious 

 to relate to you the importance of climate research and information to assist us in 

 anticipating and avoiding the adverse impacts ol climate fluctuations. At best, our 

 present knowledge and forecasting technology do not enable us in make weather 

 predictions much more than several months in the future. Clearly, there is a need tor 

 better cooperation and integration of the various ongoing climate programs and ex- 

 periments in order to maximize our research efforts and outputs. 



ENLISTING ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT 



At both the roundtable and later sessions with Federal agencies, 

 Brown repeated that the subcommittee wanted to accommodate ad- 

 ministration concerns as much as possible in any final legislation. The 

 staff fanned out to talk with numerous agency representatives. For 

 example, Dr. Byerly reported that the Department of Agriculture was 

 very concerned lest the security of its system of making crop predic- 

 tions might be breached by speculators in crop futures. These fears 

 were allayed by including a clause in the bill to continue the predic- 

 tions and assessments by mission agencies in accordance with their 

 existing procedures. 



Prior to opening three days of public hearings on April 4, Brown 

 learned of a distressing development. He immediately informed Teague: 



Despite steady support from administration representatives, we understand that 

 someone at middle-level review in OMB has instructed agencies to testify unfavorably 

 on the bill in hearings April 4, 5, and 6. We think that this is a serious mistake, and 

 will only serve to break down constructive lines of communication established over 

 the last few months. There is wide public and congressional support for a climate 

 program, and the key to making it effective will be joint cooperative congressional- 

 administration effort. 



GOBBLEDYGOOK 



Dr. Robert M. White, a highly respected meteorologist who was 

 Administrator of NOAA, was directed by OMB to testify against the 

 bill, despite the fact that he felt very strongly in favor of greater 

 emphasis on climate in Federal programs. Dr. White negotiated a 

 statement out of the administration which did not outwardly oppose 

 the legislation, but did not support it either. Small wonder that Winn 

 needled him by labeling his statement " gobbledygook." Winn rubbed 

 it in: 



It is very vague. It is not your usual stellar presentation with facts and figures. 

 * * * I kept waiting all the time for you to tell us what we are going to do. What 

 are we going to do besides coordinate, cooperate? 



