472 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



the Federal Government, from the President's Office on down, that 

 they just simply ignore it. 



But rather than to offend the Congress by vetoing the bill, they 

 sign the bill and just pay no attention to the implementation of that 

 legislation. 



That is just what you said in your statement, that the National 

 Housing Commission was created by law, but the President did not 

 carry out his obligation to see that they met. 



I think that is an indictment of the Executive, not of the Congress. 



Mr. Seidman. Now, Mr. Chairman, I think I should explain further. 

 In creating these bodies and in providing for these interagency com- 

 mittees, the Congress was assigned to them by law for only advisory 

 functions. 



There was no requirement in the law stating that there must be 

 meetings. 



Mr. Lennon. Well then, the executive ought to come back and 

 say, now, this legislation has outused its practical purposes. We 

 recommend that it be repealed. Do not repeal it by an indirect act 

 of the executive agency. I agree with you, sir. Doctor, that if there 

 is a world of laws on our books that are not being implemented they 

 ought to be repealed, they ought not to be ignored. 



That is the way I feel. 



Mr. Seidman. This is exactly what the President did, Mr. Chair- 

 man, when he sent the reorganization plan to the Congress, and I am 

 sure that you are not suggesting that pro forma meetings be held 

 by bodies when they no longer have any useful business to transact. 



This would seem to me to be a waste of the time of officials and 

 the waste of the Govermnent's f mids. 



Mr. Lennoist. But you are offering that as an explanation, the fact 

 that did not meet is the reason why the President proposed Reorga- 

 nization Plan No. 4. 



I was saying when the usefulness of a Commission created by a 

 statute has ceased, then legislation ought to be recommended by the 

 executive branch of the Government to repeal that unnecessary legis- 

 lation. 



Of course, you say that is what is done by actually effecting a re- 

 peal by the adoption of the reorganization plan, is that correct? 



Mr. Seidman. That is correct. 



Mr. Lennon. I apologize for breaking in. You go right ahead 

 with vour statement. 



Mr. Seidman. H.E. 5654 and H.E. 6457 differ from _H.R. 2218 

 mainly in limiting the President's flexibility in establishing and 

 maintaining necessary coordinating arrangements. 



Both bills would establish statutory interagency committees — con- 

 trary to the doctorine underlying Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1965 

 which was concurred in by the Congress. 



H.R. 5654 would establish a National Oceanographic Council in 

 the Executive Office of the President, and H.R. 6457 would establish 

 a National Oceanographic Council in the Office of Science and Tech- 

 nology. 



For the reasons cited in the President's message on Reorganization 

 Plan No. 4, we are opposed to the establishment of such statntory 

 interagency committees. 



