590 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE OX SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



THORNTON HEARINGS IN 1977 



The Thornton subcommittee hearings spanned a 6-month period 

 in 1977. More than 50 witnesses testified. Like the two-way flow of 

 waves and undertow, hope and fear were recurrent themes: the ex- 

 citement of discovery and its promise, yet the fear of the consequences 

 of tampering with the nature of life. The subcommittee moved res- 

 olutely into the midst of this jungle of the unknown, learning about 

 the basic biological factors, discussing the risks and benefits of DNA 

 research, examining the actions taken and proposed by the Federal 

 Government and private industry as well as other countries, and test- 

 ing the legal and ethical implications for science and society. The 

 subcommittee also aired the guidelines promulgated by the National 

 Institutes of Health for the physical and biological '"containment" of 

 federally sponsored research in order to safeguard public health. 



In releasing the final report on the 1977 hearings, Thornton 

 stated on April 3, 1978 that DNA research should continue to move 

 forward in a "positive and careful fashion." He added that the burden 

 of proof regarding the degree of potential danger "in this controversial 

 issue" rested not only on those favoring extension of the research, but 

 also on those who opposed it. 



Thornton also indicated that the NIH guidelines need to be 

 "judiciously applied," a phrase which also reflected Thornton's 

 approach to all issues. He warned: 



At this time we are dealing with basic research — not genetic engineering or health 

 research or drug research or agricultural research or any other applied R. & D. This 

 is an effort to acquire fundamental information presently unknown. Placing restraints 

 on such endeavors is a delicate matter. It is not unlike placing restraints on free 

 speech— and indeed, we cannot he sure that we are not involved here with certain 

 First Amendment protections. Experts disagree on that point. 



Still another thorny issue arose while the 1977 hearings were in 

 progress. Many Congressmen were introducing bills which were not 

 only regulatory in nature — the traditional province of the House Com- 

 mittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce — but which also went to 

 the roots of science policy, basic research, and the relation between 

 science and society — the jurisdiction of the Science Committee. Even 

 before the landmark 1977 hearings had been completed by the Thornton 

 subcommittee, Teague on May 3, 1977, requested that any bill per- 

 taining to DNA research reported out of the Commerce Committee 

 should be sequentially referred to the Science Committee The presence 

 of Science Committee members Ottinger, Scheuer, and W'axman on the 

 Commerce Committee helped insure that good liaison was established. 

 Sequential referral was granted in response to Teague's request. This 

 set the stage early in 1978 for Science Committee consideration of a 



