330 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Mr. Lennon. I notice, Doctor, in your statement you commented 

 on H.R. 2218. I quote from page 6 of your statement, down at about 

 line 8: 



Tlie ICO believes that H.R. 2218 comes close to providing all the legislative 

 support needed to develop and maintain a Continental Shelf campaign designed 

 for payoff. 



Now, how would the passage of 2218 accelerate or set the stage for 

 the development and maintaining of a Continental Shelf campaign 

 designed for payoff? 



Dr. Morse. Yes, sir, I think what I really mean by that remark is 

 that I feel that the present agencies of the Government have within 

 their present charters or objectives the means for doing this. 



We have talked earlier, and previous witnesses have mentioned, 

 for example, that the Department of Commerce certainly as well as 

 the Navy to some extent, but certainly the Department of Commerce 

 in the civilian sphere has the authority presently to engage in what- 

 ever surveys are needed on that shelf. 



Mr. Lennon. With that I agree. The General Counsel, Bob Giles 

 of the Department of Commerce in a letter directed to this committee 

 stated flatly and categorically that ESS A in the Department had the 

 authority to make a study of the Continental Shelf in tota. 



We have that in a letter in this compilation reference on the bills. 

 He did that in saying that one of the gentlemen who had introduced 

 a bill calling for a study or authorizing a study, that that was not 

 necessary, they already had the authority. 



Now, how would 2218 implement or set the stage to assist in the 

 ESSA in making the proper exploration of the Continental Shelf? 



Dr. Morse. Perhaps I am attributing something to H.R. 2218 that 

 in a sense already exists. 



I think certainly 



Mr. Lennon. Let us stop right at that point. It struck me when 

 you included that in your statement, because Dr. Hollomon's testi- 

 mony was to the effect that while they had the authority they had 

 to depend on the Appropriations Committee and on the recommenda- 

 tion of the President's budget ; that they had a continuing authoriza- 

 tion and no specific authority. 



Well now let us suppose. Doctor, that there is a drag, and they 

 have already let a small contract for an infinitesimal part of the 

 ex)>loration of the Continental Shelf, but that is getting started. 



But let us suppose that next year it is not included in the ICO's 

 recommendations, a continuing funding of this. 



Then when they go before the Appropriations Committee they are 

 bucking the President's budget, and the Appropriations Committee 

 will not have the support of an authorization committee. 



We had this same experience with the Coast Guard which for a 

 period of 16 years, due to a legislative or technical draftsmanship 

 oversight, that the Coast Guard lost its annual authorization and we 

 just restored that a couple of years ago. 



So that the Coast Guard did not have the support of the authoriza- 

 tion committee. That is the reason that the Members of Congress 

 are generally concerned. 



You say, well, the Appropriations Committee can have the legisla- 

 tive oversight, but they do not have the time, because they must ap- 



