Congress of the Rnited States

OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Ter
WasninaTon, DG 20510-8025 OS {
ROGER C. HERDMAN, Dinecton oo

July 31, 1995

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Professor

Rockefeller Univesity

1230 York Ave.

New York,, New York 10021

Dear Josh:

During the week of July 17th the Senate Appropriations Committee
met to mark up the legislative branch appropriations bill. At that
meeting the Chairman of the Legislative Subcommittee, Senator Mack
recommended a close out for OTA which would provide for 60 days
severance for most of the staff and a small 17 person close out staff
which would shut down the agency between October 1, and January 31,
1995/6. An amendment was offered by Senator Hollings to preserve OTA
as an independent agency at the $15 million level. In spite of
bipartisan support this amendment was defeated 13-11. Later in the
week, the Appropriations bill was brought to the Senate floor and an
amendment was offered by Senators Hollings, Hatch and Stevens to provide
for an independent agency. This amendment was defeated 54-45.
Regrettably, in both instances OTA found itself in a zero sum game where
the funds to survive had to come at the expense of the Library, GAO and
other congressional institutions. This caused these groups to lobby
against the amendments, and in both cases enough votes were lost thereby
to cause our defeat. On Thursday the 27th of July in conference, an
amendment to preserve OTA was offered by Mr. Fazio; this amendment was
tied and therefore did not carry.

And so OTA is now closing out. I will be here with a small staff
.through January to accomplish this; we hope to finish as much work as
possible and to see it distributed. Although I have cancelled the
September TAAC meeting since there seemed little purpose to it, I would
be happy to see any of the TAAC members, or to provide you with reports
or other information or material if I can, or to visit on the phone. I
have greatly enjoyed my interaction with all of you, and I and the rest
of OTA will always be grateful for all of your help to the agency and
staff throughout the years and recently.

Sincerely,

er C. Herdman