10 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



resources. Since 1960 the program has been coordinated and its 

 budgets planned by the Interagency Committee on Oceanography of 

 the Federal Council for Science and Technology. Funds are appro- 

 priated through the budgets of the individual cooperating agencies. 

 The large number of bills which have been introduced in the Congress 

 in recent sessions proposing to alter this coordinating machinery or 

 to begin new studies of the ocean and its resources reflects the concern 

 of the legislative branch of the Government that the present mecha- 

 nism for planning and review may not be adequate. The varying 

 nature of the individual solutions to the problem represented by these 

 bills is a fair indication of the complexity of the problem. 



We believe that there is a growing need for a perspective in which 

 the oceanographic programs of the Federal Government can be more 

 clearly seen in relation to each other and in relation to the national 

 goals which they support. All of these bills contain some features 

 which could be helpful in carrying out a national oceanographic 

 program. The position of the executive branch, however, is that 

 H.R. 2218 should be enacted, but that the enactment of any of the 

 other bills would be premature at this time. This position is based 

 on the premise that the President's Science Advisory Committee's 

 Panel on Oceanography is at the present time making the kind of 

 investigation and study that is contemplated by H.R. 9064. When 

 the panel completes its study and submits its report Congress can 

 more appropriately decide whether additional legislation dealing 

 either with a further study or with a revised governmental organi- 

 zation to administer the national oceanographic program should be 

 enacted. 



The recommendation that legislative action should be deferred is 

 not intended to cast any doubt on the importance of the subject. 

 President Johnson has recently stated his intention that the United 

 States shall maintain leadership in ocean science and technology 

 and their economic, military, and social applications. 



The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection 

 to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the admini- 

 stration's program. 



Sincerely yours, 



Clarence F. Pautzke, 

 Deputy Assistant Secretary oj the Interior. 



National Academy of Sciences, 

 Washington, D.C., April £3, 1965. 



Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



House oj Representatives, Washington, D.C 



Dear Congressman Bonner: Over the last 3 months you have 

 been kind enough to refer to us for our information, and such comment 

 as we might wish to make, several bills having to do with the Federal 

 Government's arrangements for developing, coordination, and funding 

 the national oceanographic program. 



Our Committee on Oceanography has welcomed the opportunity to 

 review these bills. The Committee has long recognized the need for 



