534 HISTORY OF THl COMMITTEI ON SCIENC1 >.\i> rECHNOLOGY 



cally touchy questions like peer review, precollege curriculum develop- 

 ment (the aftereffects of the MACOS brouhaha), and the future of the 

 science for citizens program had to be faced squarely, and would not 

 go away. Other questions discussed at Thornton"s organization meet- 

 ing were how to continue progress toward NSF-inspired improvement 

 of education for minorities and the handicapped, how should the re- 

 lation of NSF develop toward industry and profitmaking organizations 

 (through the RANN program), what was the appropriate role of the 

 NSF in stimulating basic research in mission-oriented Federal agencies, 

 and what should be the future role of NSF in most effectively support- 

 ing international objectives. 



THE SCIENCE FOR CITIZENS PROGRAM IN 1977 



After the customary round of public hearings during February, 

 the Thornton subcommittee assembled for its markup session on 

 March 2. Generally, the subcommittee decided to reduce NSF's overall 

 budget request by 5 percent, but increase the support for science edu- 

 cation by 10 percent. A fight erupted in the subcommittee over the 

 science for citizens program, with McCormack leading the forces who 

 wanted to cut the NSF budget request from $1.2 million down to a 

 mere $100,000, and Harkin advocating full support for the program. 

 McCormack told his colleagues: 



The danger lies in the fact that lobbying groups, intervenor groups will try to 

 get the money and use it for their purposes. * * * And 1 think it makes good sense 

 that the Federal Government should not be funding (lobbying groups) in the guise 

 of educating the public in the field of science. 



Harkin responded: 



One thing that I feel all the time as I go out and talk to citizens and citizen 

 groups, as I did in my recent trip to the West Coast, that what the scientists are doing 

 and what they are thinking and saying is not being translated to the average citizen. 

 Because we live in a democratic society where those citizens make the ultimate de- 

 cisions, they ought to know, they ought to have the basic scientific input to be able 

 to make reasoned judgments and decisions. 



Harkin added that all the witnesses appearing before the sub- 

 committee had testified in support of the NSF budget request, justify- 

 ing the authorization. In rebuttal, four staff members intermittently 

 supplied information that $100,000 was all that was needed for a late- 

 starting program which needed evaluation before it should proceed. 

 Chairman Thornton expressed a "grave concern if that funding becomes 

 available for intervenors." With an obvious recollection of the 

 MACOS light, Fuqua added: 



The National Science Foundation has been embroiled in controversy over some 

 other programs. And I think they do a very fine job and in the academic and scientific 



