74 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



million dollars per year is authorized for the Commission, and it is 

 improbable that such a large sum (almost 40 percent of the current 

 national oceanographic program funding) will be provided without 

 equivalent reductions in the budgets of agencies now active in ocean 

 exploration and development. 



The Department of the Navy, on behalf of the Department of 

 Defense, is opposed to the enactment of H.R. 7849 as it would in 

 large part duplicate what existing agencies are already doing. Its 

 objectives could be achieved more efficiently by strengthening existing 

 agency programs, and assigning individual agencies further statutory 

 responsibility, as may be considered appropriate. 



This report has been coordinated within the Department of Defense 



in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. 



The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the 



administration's program, there is no objection to the presentation of 



this report on H.R. 7849 for the consideration of the committee. 



Sincerely yours, 



M. K. Disney, 

 Captain, U.S. Navy, 

 Director, Legislative Division 

 (For the Secretary of the Navy). 



Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. 



Washington^ D.C.^ August 2. 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman., Conimittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of 

 Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



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

 May 11, 1965, for a report on H.R. 7849, a bill to provide for the devel- 

 opment of ocean resources, to provide for economic development of 

 rlie Continental Shelf, to provide for expanded research in the oceans 

 and the Great Lakes, to establish a National Oceanographic Council, 

 and for other purposes. 



Title I of the bill ^YOuld set forth objectives to be sought in ocean- 

 ography and title II would provide for the establishment in the 

 Executive Office of the President of a National Oceanograpliic Coun- 

 cil, composed of the heads of the departments and agencies having 

 iin interest in oceanography. We believe that the purposes for which 

 the National Oceanographic Council would be established are now 

 being pursued through the Interagency Committee on Oceanography. 

 "With respect to the organizational setting of the oceanographic pro- 

 gram, we prefer the provisions of H.R. 2218. 



Title III of H.R. 7849 provides for the establishment of a five- 

 member Marine Exploration and Development Commission composed 

 of two private citizens appointed by the President and confirmed by 

 the Senate, and the Secretaries of Defense, the Interior, and Com- 

 merce One of the citizen members would be designated as chairman 

 by the President, An Executive Director appointed by the President 

 and confirmed by the Senate would perform under the general super- 

 vision of the Commission such functions authorized by the act as 

 tlie Commission prescribes. The capacity of existing governmental 

 agencies would be used to the maximum extent consistent with the 

 act's purposes. 



