872 



HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENf I AND TECHNOLOGY 



Instead, his spokesmen in announcing the veto were only Stuart Eizcnstat, 

 Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs and Ms. Kitty Shermer (sic), who I 

 am told is a crusading environmentalist. That raises a troublesome question as to who 

 it is that reallv has the President's ear in these matters. Where were his energy and 

 science experts? 



The reference to "Ms. Kitty Shermer" was a phonetic error. Teague 

 was no doubt referring to Katherine P. Schirmer, Associate Director 

 on the Domestic Policy Staff, and a former assistant to the late Senator 

 Philip A. Hart (Democrat of Michigan). This conclusion misread 

 the strong and personal convictions of President Carter on the CRBR, 

 and may well have fostered the almost total lack of understanding 

 dialogue between the President and Congress on the entire issue. But, 

 as we shall see, Teague more than other committee members made 

 strenuous and sincere efforts in 1978 to arrive at a compromise with 

 the White House. 



BROWN PRAISES VETO 



Brown was pleased with the veto. He congratulated President 

 Carter "for demonstrating the political courage and strength of his 

 convictions." The California Congressman added: 



His veto is sound on economic, political, scientific, environmental and national 

 security grounds. It will not adversely affect our national energy situation and may 

 well help it. 



Speaker O'Neill, who tried to persuade the President not to veto 

 the bill, predicted that it would ruffle quite a few feathers in the Con- 

 gress. And Flowers, speaking of feathered creatures, commented: 



We're acting like an ostrich and not an eagle if we don't go forward with the 

 breeder. 



After terming the veto as ill-advised, misguided and disappoint- 

 ing, Goldwater's reaction was this: 



I am hopeful that the Congress will act, through overriding this veto or 

 by other legislative action, to reverse this damaging action by the President and get 

 our energy ship back on course. We cannot solve the energy crisis by inaction or 

 retreat. We need decisive, positive leadership, and that is what the Congress should 

 be prepared to offer. 



Goldwater's appeal to the Congress to act may have sounded 

 overly optimistic, particularly in light of the strong vote for the 

 Brown amendment which made it just about impossible to override 

 the President's veto. Yet Congress had two more parliamentary rabbits 

 to pull out of its hat. 



First, Congress quickly passed a new authorization bill which 

 omitted the CRBR, but included almost all of the other provisions. 



