TASK FORI I AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY, 1971 661 



dotes. Teague became restless, moved around in his leather chair, 

 started drumming his fingers impatiently on the tabic and said sharply: 



v, Alike has talked with each of vis about this. I'm in favor of it and 

 think you should go ahead and establish it. 



Teague mentioned that important research on thermonuclear fu- 

 sion was in progress at the University of Texas in Austin, and that the 

 task force should look into this research. Miller replied that encourag- 

 ing such travel might not be wise in view of the committee's limited 

 budget. Teague shot back that he could get Miller "an additional 

 $100,000 any time he wanted it" and that "a first-class job on the 

 study should not be sacrificed for budgetary reasons." 



MILLER CONSENTS TO THE DECISION 



Teague then got up and said he had to leave. But he wanted a 

 decision before he left. Davis also urged action, and finally Miller 

 consented. This entire discussion up to that point had taken only 10 

 minutes, and Miller got up to leave with Teague at 12:50. 



In his July 13 memorandum, Dr. Ratchford stated: 



Mr. Davis and Mr. McCormack continued their discussion. Mr. Davis agreed 

 that Mr. Seiberling and Mr. Symington would be appropriate appointees to the Task 

 Force from the Democratic side and that Mr. McCormack would talk with Mr. Bell 

 concerning potential Republican appointees. According to Mr. McCormack he had 

 already discussed the issue with Mr. Seiberling and would do so shortly with Mr. 

 Symington. 



The question of assignment of committee staff members to assist in the Study 

 was specifically put off until a later time by Mr. Davis. Earlier Chairman Miller had 

 pointed out the desirability of bringing in Congressional Research Service staff to help 

 the Task Force. 



Reflecting back on the events in 1978, McCormack commented: 



Without Tiger's support, Miller would not have agreed to it. * * * I think Tiger 

 didn't appreciate the magnitude of the problem or at that time didn't appreciate the 

 energy crisis or the nature of all the things we got into. But he was aware of the fact 

 that there were things going on that he wasn't up to snuff on, for instance, he men- 

 tioned to me in discussions that there was research work going on at the University 

 of Texas that they planned to solve our Nation's energy problems, that he didn't 

 understand. 



Dr. Ratchford drafted an authorization letter and brought it 

 to Miller on July 15- Miller signed the letter on July 19, indicating 

 to Davis: 



It is with great pleasure that I establish a Task Force on Energy under the juris- 

 diction of the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development, as we discussed 

 with Olin Teague and Mike McCormack on July 13. 



