806 HISTORY OF THI COMMITTE! ON SCIENC1 AND TECHNOLOGY 



markup session, Hechler pointed out how different this was from 

 the experience of the committee with NASA, where items were 

 broken down in detail to give a better handle for oversight operations. 

 Hechler asked: " Do you share that view?" Downing, the ranking 

 Democrat, responded: 



Yes, I do share that view, Mr. Chairman, and I'm a great advocate of that, 

 which should he incorporated. 



LINE-ITEMING THE AUTHORIZATION 



Following some discussion of whether to incorporate more 

 specific language in the committee report on the intent of Congress 

 concerning detailed expenditures, Blouin advocated a line-by-line 

 specification of how much ERDA could allocate to each aspect of 

 fossil fuel R. & D. Blouin contended that such an approach would 

 have more "clout" than simply mentioning it in the committee- 

 report. Hechler then raised the question for subcommittee discussion 

 of the sentiment on line-iteming which went as follows: 



Mr. Myers. Did we get a feeling anywhere in the hearings that line-iteming 

 would put improper constraints on ERDA because of their infancy? I think that is 

 one consideration. 



Mr. HtcHLER. In light of the fact that ERDA is a new organization just getting 

 started, we have to allow sufficient flexibility for transfer in the language, but not 

 so much flexibility that they can thwart the will or intent of Congress.* * * I would 

 like to get an expression by the subcom mittee as to whether we should proceed 

 toward line-iteming. 



Mrs. Lloyd. ERDA is in its embryonic stage, and we certainly should have 

 line-iteming. We are responsive to the voters and taxpayers, and we should exercise 

 this.* * * We will continue to work with them and give them some flexibility. 

 But I think in their beginning stages there is more reason for us to line-item. 



Mr. Krueger. I think it is appropriate for this subcommittee to indicate the 

 directions for research and development that they would wish ERDA to undertake. 

 Therefore, I would like to see line-iteming done, though I have no objections myself 

 to the clause giving them roughly 25 percent flexibility. 



What the subcommittee then did was to take the figures which 

 ERDA had informed them it contemplated on allocating to each sub- 

 area (i.e., coal liquefaction, high Btu gasification, low Btu gasifi- 

 cation, MHD, natural gas and oil extraction, etc.) and writing those 

 specific figures into the authorizing legislation, with such adjustments 

 as the subcommittee voted. 



Several younger members asked whether it would not be possible 

 to separate out the nuclear weapons sections of the bill, so they did 

 not have to vote for the amounts authorized by the Joint Committee 

 on Atomic Energy but administered by ERDA. Hechler conferred with 

 Teague and reported back to his subcommittee the following day: 



