g28 HISTORY Ol IHI COMM1TTEI ON SCIENCI AND rECHNOLOGI 



Teague generated a new wave of administration support through 

 his critical comments He also carefully built up additional committee 

 support through his extremely fair approach toward examining all 

 sides of the issue, tolerating adverse witnesses, and allowing some of 

 the 1975 critics on the committee to air their differences. Early in 

 1976, Ottinger took over firm leadership of the opposition to loan 

 guarantees. Before bowing out of the picture to concentrate on his 

 ill-timed race for Governor and subsequent attempt to return to the 

 House via the write-in route, Hechler stirred the General Accounting 

 Office to furnish what turned out to be a critical analysis of the ERDA 

 loan guarantee plans. He also arranged for the appearance of several 

 Navajo representatives, who spoke movingly concerning the "fear 

 of industrialization on this massive scale" and the "instantaneous 

 onslaught" of coal gasification plants on tribal lands. 



OTTINGER TAKES OVER OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP 



Ottinger recognized that sentiment for loan guarantees was grow- 

 ing with the committee, and he therefore turned his attention to build- 

 ing another conservative-liberal coalition outside the committee. 

 Teague proceeded methodically to build his forces. On April 14, 

 Teague asked all committee members to submit amendments they 

 wanted to offer. He assembled the full committee on April 27 just to 

 give everybody his say, and to ascertain whether the committee really 

 wanted to go ahead with the bill. Downing observed: 



I think the American people and the Congress, too, have been lulled into a sense 

 of false complacency. We have had a mild winter. The oil potentates of the OPEC 

 countries haven't boycotted us, so we assume everything is rosy. It is not. And to put 

 it simply, we know we are faced with a critical energy shortage. This bill, 1 think, 

 would alleviate that shortage, not do everything, but it we put this oil too much 

 longer, we are going to hnd ourselves in a bind. I would go ahead, pass the bill out 

 and rake the first step. 



After other pros and cons, including statements from Harkin and Dodd 

 that they might support the bill if the anticompetitive features were 

 improved, McCormack indicated: 



I think Mr. Downing made the most important statement here today. We keep 

 acting as if we are not going to have an energy crisis, when indeed our \ T ation is in 

 extreme peril. 



McCormack and Wydler both stressed that it was time to think 

 big, and stop pretending this could be a small businessman's bill. 

 "Energy involves big corporations," McCormack said. "I don't think 

 we should try to delude ourselves it is going to be a boon to the small 

 businessman of the country," Wydler echoed. But Dodd pointed to the 

 extensive work being done by small businesses in the solar energy 



