Sill and background
Government
Hearings dominate Congressional action Despite its having been in session for 75 days, the 94th Congress has managed to achieve little of substance. Indeed, of the 22 bills President Ford has signed so far, the income tax reduction act is perhaps the only substantive one. This is the backdrop to the latest legislative wrapup prepared by C&EN's Washington News Bureau. Even the budget effort has slowed down. In science and technology, for example, both the House and the Senate have passed 1976 budget authorization bills for the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration. The bills now are awaiting action by a conference committee. However, only one committee has reported a funding bill for the Energy Research & Development Administration. And appropriations committees, which determine how much money Congress actually wants to spend, are still at the hearings stage. Also, a standoff is developing between the White House and Congress. Ford may not be able to get the legislation he wants. But then Congress—particularly the Democrats—can't get its measures enacted into law either. For example, Ford's energy program has bogged down almost completely. And the House Ways & Means Committee has reported its own version of a comprehensive national energy policy, H.R. 6860. But the bill is tied up now in the House Rules Committee. Further, Ford has so far vetoed three bills and, in spite of its supposedly vetoproof Democratic majority, the House has not been able to override the President's actions. On the other hand, quick action is anticipated on toxic substances legislation. A bill has been introduced by Rep. Bob Eckhardt (D.-Tex.) in the House in recent days and hearings on it are scheduled for next week. Sources indicate that the Eckhardt bill is "pretty close" to the bill that the Senate Subcommittee on the Environment is expected to send the full Commerce Committee for action by the end of next week. Other environmental legislation is moving at a quick pace. A bill to amend the 1972 Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act (FEPCA) has to be enacted or all funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's pesticide activities will stop June 30. And amendments are likely to be attached to the money bill to correct what Congress views as EPA's deficiencies in implementing FEPCA. Also pending are the amendments to the Clean Air Act, such as freezing current auto emission standards for five years; amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, such as extending the 1977 deadline for industry and municipalities to achieve secondary treatment; and new omnibus solid waste legislation that provides technical aid and economic incentives to resource recovery. Also, President Ford has announced that he wants a science and technology adviser in the White House. That he will submit legislation to re-establish an Office of Science & Technology on a permanent basis assures an imminent end to the controversy over putting a science adviser back into the White House. Both House and Senate science committees have scheduled hearings on the issue for early next month and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller—who recommended science advice options to Ford—will be lead-off witness at House and possibly Senate hearings. However, it's virtually certain that Congress won't rubber stamp the President's request. D 14
C & E N J u n e 2 , 1975
Antitrust (S. 1284, H.R. 39) Allow the Justice Department to obtain \n advance of a merger depositions, written Interrogatories, documentary evidence on which to decide if a merger should be challenged Authorization. (S. 598, H.R. 3474) Provide fiscal 1976 funding for ERDA
Consumer Protection Agency. (S. 200, H.p. 1188, 1266, 1942, 27D9) Establish an agency to represent the interest of individuals lr\ proceedings before federal agencies in the area of consumer affairs Copyright* (S. 22, H.R. 2223) Provide for general revision of U.S. copyright law Economy. (S. 409, H.R. 5494) Authorize a Council on Wage & Price Stability to require corporations to break business information down by each product line Energy. (S. 594, H.R, 2633) Administration's energy program for production, conservation, including deregulation of prices, establishment of petroleum reserves. Referred to four House and nine Senate committees Foreign investments. (S. 425, H.R. 2329) Require notification and, in certain instances, prohibit acquisition by foreign investors of significant interests in U.S. companies Health. (S. 3, H.R. 1, 21, 93, 363) Provide for medical, hospital, dental care through voluntary national insurance system (S. 963, H.R. 6371) Ban feeding of diethylstilbestrol to animals intended for use as food land use.(S. 507,1292, H.R. 3510) Provide for the management, protection, development of national resource lands $etric, b (S. 100, H.R. 7353) Convert U.S. to metric system
Ozone. (H.R. 3916, 4327, 4328) Provide for one-year study of effects of aerosols containing chiorofluorocarbons on the atmosphere; bans or limits manufacture after two years if deemed dangerous
Patents.* (S. 23, 214, 473) Reform and modernize U.S. patent law Pesticides, (S. 1629, H.R. 6387) Provide funds for EPA programs under the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act Science policyP (S. 32, 79, H.R. 4461,6404) Establish Council of Advisers on Science & Technology in the White House. H.R. 4461 also sets up a Department of Research & Technology Operations Strip mining. (S. 7, H.R. 25) Provide minimum federal environmental standards for surface coal mining operations Solid waste.* (S. 1474, 1744, H.R. 5487) Provide for a comprehensive system of waste management & resource recovery Taxes. (H.R. 2166) Provides limited tax rebate on 1974 incomes, revises other taxes, repeals oil depletion allowance Toxic substances,* (S, 776, H.R. 7229) Regulates hazardous chemical substances, requires premarket testing
a ACS policy deye\oped. b ACS policy being developed.
House committee
House floor
Senate committee
Senate floor
Outlook
Judiciary. Subcommittee on Monopoly began hearings 5/18/75
Judiciary. Subcommittee on Antitrust & Monopoly began hearings 4/18/75
Enactment likely
Science & Technology. Ordered reported 4/28/75
interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy Research & Water Resources began markup 5/13/75. Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. Amended, reported 5/6/75
Enactment certain
Government Operations, Interstate & Foreign Commerce. No hearing dates set
Government Operations. Amended, reported 4/9/75
Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties & the Administration of Justice began hearings 5/7/75
Judiciary. Subcommittee on Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights is proceeding with markup
Banking, Currency & Housing. No hearing iSate set
Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs. Amended, reported 4/18/75
Amended, passed
5/15/75
Enactment likely
Enactment likely Amended, passed
5/6/75
Enactment possible
Interstate & Foreign Commerce. Began markup of a new bill, H.R. 7014, 5/21/75. Ways & Means. Reported new bill, H.R. m$, 5/15/75
Interior & insular Affairs. Began hear-, ings 3/11/75. Commerce. Began hearings 2/24/75
Enactment likely but with major revisions
Interstate & foreign Commerce. No hearing date set
Commerce. Subcommittee on Foreign Commerce began hearings 5/7/75. Foreign Affairs. Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations began hearings 3/18/75
Enactment possible
Ways & Means. Hearings probable, interstate & Foreign Commerce. No hearing date set
Finance. No hearings planned
Enactment unlikely
Interstate & Foreign Commerce. No hearing date set
Labor & Public Welfare. Ordered reported 5/6/75
Enactment possible
Interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy & the Environment concluded markup 4/24/75
Interior & Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on Environment & Land Resources resumed hearings 5/15/75
Enactment possible
Science & Technology. Subcommittee on Science, Research & Technology concluded markup 5/21/75
Commerce. No hearings planned
Enactment possible
Science & Technology. Subcommittee on Environment & Atmosphere concluded hearings 5/22/75. interstate & Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Public Health & Environment began hearings 3/20/75
Aeronautical & Space Sciences. Held oversight hearings 1/29/75
Enactment possible
Judiciary. Subcommittee on Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights expects to begin markup in June
Enactment possible
Agriculture. Concluded hearings 5/16/75 *
Agriculture & Forestry. Concluded hearings 5/20/75. Commerce. Subcommittee on the Environment concluded hearings 5/1/75
Enactment certain
Science & Technology. Hearings scheduled to begin 6/10/75. Government Operations. No hearing date set
Labor & Public Welfare, Aeronautical & Space Sciences, Commerce. Joint hearings planned in June, date uncertain
Enactment certain, but with revisions
Interior & Insular Affairs. Amended, reported 3/6/75
Amended, passed 3/18/75
interstate & Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Transportation & Commerce concluded hearings 4/17/75 Ways & Means. Amended, reported 2/25/75 Interstate & Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Consumer Protection & Finance has scheduled hearings for 6/9/75
Interior & Insular Affairs. Amended, reported 3/5/75
Amended, passed
3/12/75 Public Works. Plans to begin markup this month
Amended, passed 2/27/75
Finance. Amended, reported 3/17/75
Enactment possible Amended, passed
3/21/75 Commerce. Subcommittee on the Environment concluded hearings 4/15/75
Vetoed 5/20/75
Approved 3/29/75 P.L.-94-12 Enactment likely
June 2, 1975 C&EN
15
