national oceanographic program legislation 19 



Comptroller General of the United States, 



Washington, D.C., February 4, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House oj Representatives, Washington, B.C. 



Dear Mr. Chairman: This is in reply to your letter of January 

 26, 1965, requesting our comments on H.R. 2218, 89tli Congress, 1st 

 session, entitled "A bill to provide for a comprehensive, long-range, 

 and coordinated national program in oceanography, and for other 

 purposes." 



We have no special information or knowledge concerning the pro- 

 posed legislation and, therefore, we make no recommendation with 

 respect to its enactment. 

 Sincerely yours, 



Joseph Campbell, 

 Comptroller General oj the United States. 



Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 



Washington, D.G., August 2, 196S. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman., Gomnfiittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries., 

 House of Representatives., Washington., D.G. 



Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in response to your request of Jan- 

 uary 26, 1965, for a report on H.R. 2218, a bill to provide for a com- 

 I)rehensive, long-range, and coordinated national program in oceanog- 

 raphy, and for other purposes. 



The bill would vest in the President responsibility for issuance of 

 a statement of national goals with respect to oceanocrraphy, develop- 

 ment of a comprehensive program of oceanograpliic activities, and 

 designation and fixing of responsibility for the direction of such ac- 

 tivities. Further, the bill would direct the President to report an- 

 nually to the Congress on stated aspects of the program and would 

 authorize him to appoint an Advisory Committee for Oceanography. 



This Department is represented on the Interagency Committe on 

 Oceanography of the Federal Council for Science and Technology. 

 Through the work of the Committee, many of the objectives of H.R. 

 2218 are presently being achieved. The Committee prepares each 

 year a coordinated, comprehensive plan for the achievement of na- 

 tional goals in the field of oceaiiography. The national oceano- 

 grapliic program for fiscal year 1966 was recently transmitted to the 

 Congress by the President. 



H.R. 2218 would provide specific statutory basis for interagency 

 coordination of programs in oceanography. It could serve to focus 

 wider attention on this broad area in inquiry in its many aspects. We 

 would, therefore, have no objection to enactment of the bill. 



We are advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no ob- 

 jection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the 

 Administration's program. 

 Sincerely, 



Wilbur J. Cohen, 



Under Secretary. 



