77 



through a change in the legislation that the Council, instead of phas- 

 ing out 60 clays after the Commission's expiration date, whicli was 30 

 days after they filed the report, would continue 120 days. We were 

 persuaded, and I am certainly happy we were. I recall I made the 

 compromise that was accepted by our counterparts in the Senate on 

 the conference to 120 days. 



I have been delighted with the caliber of work and interest and con- 

 cern and time and dedication that the Council has demonstrated, led 

 by the Vice President. I was furnished, at my request, by Dr. Ed 

 Wenk, the Executive Secretary of the Council, a synopsis of the meet- 

 ings of that Council since it came into being and individuals by title 

 and name who attended each of these meetings. Before we finish today. 

 I am going to ask unanimous consent to put that in the record. 



I am actvised that the Council is of the judgment that the legislation 

 ought to be amended to extend the life of the Commission for a period 

 of 6 months and to extend the life of the Council for a period of 6 

 months rather than 120 days after the Commission files its final report. 



I say this because Mr. Mosher and I have been especially privileged 

 to follow both the work of the Commission and the Council. The politi- 

 cal connotation of it does not concern me except that I know if the 

 Commission was forced to comply with the legislative statutory lan- 

 guage and file its report by July 9 of next year that hopefully all of us 

 in the Congress will be busily engaged in our own personal activities 

 as I anticipate it. 



I share the view of Mr. Mosher here, not for the political connota- 

 tion bvit for the fact that I do not believe in the throes of a political 

 campaign from July until the first or second Tuesday in November next 

 year that the Commission report would get the attention of the inter- 

 ested scientists, science writers, scientific magazines and the periodicals 

 as well as the general news media. I am so pleased, Mr. Downing, with 

 the Council's activity I think we would be making a tragic mistake to 

 phase them out of existence because they will hold together, and I 

 anticipate it will take the Congress somewhere in the neighborhood of 

 6 months or better to analyze and digest the Commission report and to 

 translate that report into meaningful legislation. 



I have expressed myself in the past hopefully that the Commission 

 report would meet the acclaim of the legislative branch of the Govern- 

 ment, the executive branch of the Government, universities, and lab- 

 oratories in the private sector. That is the status of the thing. 



I happen to know that Dr. Stratton's goal was to meet this deadline, 

 I happen to know it was the goal of a number of the members of the 

 Commission to meet this deadline of July 9 of next year, but I think 

 now there has become an awareness and a recognition on the part of 

 both the Commission and on the Council, and when we speak of the 

 Council we speak of the Vice President, the various Secretaries at the 

 Cabinet level and other high officials in the Federal Government. 



(Off the record.) 



Mr. LENisroisr. Mr. Downing? 



Mr. Downing. Mr. Chairman, this is such an enormously complex 

 subject wliich you are undertaldng that I doubt that you could ever say 

 your study is complete, and if we gave you 5 years, a man as dedicated 

 as you and your coUeagaies would still not be able to tell us this is the 

 final word. 



