Memorandum, Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Atomic Energy Commission Appropriation Act

COMMENTS ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION APPROPRIATION ACT 1. Senator O Mahoney, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Independent Offices Subcommittee, has proposed to add the following legislative amendment to the Independent Offices Appropriations Act to provide for FBI investigations and Attorney General clearance for holders of AEC fellowships: "Sec. 102. (a) No part of any appropriation contained in this title for the Atomic Energy Commission shall be used to confer 8. fellowship on any person who advocates or who is a member of an organization or party that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States by force or violence or with respect to whom the Attorney General finds, upon investigation and report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the character, associations, and loyalty of whom, that reasonable grounds exist for belief that such person is disloyal to the Government of the United States: PROVIDED, That any person who advocates or who is a. member of an organization or party that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States by force or violence and accepts employment the salary, wages, stipend, or expenses for which are paid from any appropriation con- tained in this title shall be guilty of a. felony and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the above penal clause shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other provisions of existing lew." It is the view of the Atomic Energy Commission that the adoption of such a requirement for AEC fellows engaged in non-secret work would be a dangerous precedent and would seriously threaten the success of the fellowship programe Attached is a copy of a letter which the AND Commission on July 13 dispatched to Senator McMahon expressing its SERVICE views in this regard. 2. Senator Mahoney has also proposed the adoption of a legislative amendment to the AEC Appropriations Act relating to construction projects of the Atomic Energy Commission. The text of this amendment follows: "PROVIDED FURTHER, That no part of this appropriation or con- tract authorization shall be used-- (A) to start any new construction project for which an estimate was not included in the budget for the current fiscal year; (B) to start any new construction project the currently esti- mated cost of which exceeds the estimated cost included therefor in such budget; or (c) to continue any community facility construction project whenever the currently estimated cost thereof exceeds the estimated cost included therefor in such budget; unless the Director of the Bureau of the Budget specifically approves the start of such construction project or its continuation and a detailed explanation thereof is submitted forthwith by the