The Drug people engage in extensive environmental health research, do they not; they are responsible for food, pesticides, drugs, and so forth? Dr. TERRY. As a matter of fact, at the present time, the Food and Drug Administration per se does relatively little research. Mr. DINGELL. All right. How about the Department of the Interior? They are engaged in rather extensive research in the field of pesticides? Dr. TERRY. Yes. Mr. DINGELL. Now, you are going to engage in pesticide activities in your agency. Dr. TERRY. I don't think there is any question but that the problem of chemicals in our environment is going to be a very important part of this program. Mr. DINGELL. So, in the end, you will be duplicating what the Department of the Interior is doing? Dr. TERRY. I beg your pardon, sir. Just because I said we would be engaged in it does not say we will be duplicating. We will do everything in our power to work with their program and not duplicate it. Mr. ROBERTS. The chairman will have to state that we have a quorum call on the floor, and I will have to adjourn. Mr. DINGELL. I appreciate the courtesy. I am particularly grateful. I am not a member of the subcommittee. Mr. ROBERTS. We are always happy to have the gentleman from Michigan. I am very sorry we cannot go ahead with the questioning, but we have to announce that the hearing will recess subject to the call of the Chair. (The following letter was submitted for the record :) AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, Hon. KENNETH A. ROBERTS, Chairman, Subcommittee on Public Health and Safety, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN ROBERTS: The American Medical Association appreciates the opportunity to submit to this committee its views on H.R. 2410, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize greater flexibility in the organization of the Public Health Service. In the main, the American Medical Association supports this legislation. For purposes of our consideration of the bill, we have divided the provisions of H.R. 2410 into two major parts. The first part deals generally with the reorganization of the Public Health Service, and the second part deals with the appointive power of the Surgeon General. As we understand section 2 of the bill, it would amend existing law to provide that the Public Health Service would consist of— (1) The Office of the Surgeon General; (3) The Bureau of Medical Services; (4) The National Library of Medicine; and (5) "Such other bureaus or other constituent units as the Surgeon General may find appropriate for the organization of the Service and the efficient administration of its functions" as may be approved by the Secretary. If this section is enacted, the existing Bureau of State Services will be eliminated. It is a further understanding of the American Medical Association that the contemplated reorganization, which would be carried out if H.R. 2410 is enacted, is based on the final report of the Study Group on Mission and Organization of the Public Health Service which was initiated by the former Surgeon General, Dr. Leroy E. Burney. Among the recommendations contained in the final report is the establishment of a Bureau of Environmental Health and a Bureau of Community Services which would replace the Bureau of State Services. While the association has not taken a position on the final report and therefore does not necessarily agree with all the recommendations contained in it, it does agree that the Surgeon General should have authority to adapt the organizational structure of the Public Health Service to meet significant program variations and increased responsibilities without the necessity of seeking new legislation. The great advances in technology, which have resulted in new and emerging public health problems, and the remarkable progress in medical science, which promises solutions to problems that have long plagued mankind, can be expected to continue into the foreseeable future. If the Public Health Service is to meet its responsibilities to the people of this Nation, it must be able to adapt to these changing conditions. In endorsing the amendment contained in section 2 of H.R. 2410, the association assumes that the Surgeons General of the future will consult with interested medical groups, as well as with outside management experts, as did Dr. Burney's study group. With respect to the provision we have designated as the second part of H.R. 2410, subsection 3(b), as presently written, is a source of concern to the American Medical Association. It appears to take away the Surgeon General's existing authority to appoint the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Chief of the Bureau of Medical Services, and the chiefs of new bureaus established under clause (5) of the proposed section 202 (a). The association believes that the language of subsection (b) will weaken the authority proposed to be granted to the Surgeon General in section 2. Further, the elimination of the requirement that the individuals selected for these key positions be made from among officers of the regular corps of the Public Health Service is not, in our opinion, in the best interest of the Service. We believe it could have a disastrous effect on the recruiting activities of the Service and in the maintenance of a stable regular corps. Such an effect could, in turn, result in a loss of efficiency on the part of the Service through the appointment of individuals who lack a complete background of the agency's mission. The American Medical Association believes that the selection of individuals for toplevel positions in the Public Health Service should be made from career-oriented officers of the regular corps. The positions should be filled by individuals who have had responsibility for a substantial number of important programs over a period of years in both the United States and in foreign assignments. Their acquired knowledge, experience, and familiarity with the multiplicity of operations of the Service will do much to assure satisfactory performance and the continuity of related interests both within and without the Government. For these reasons, the American Medical Association respectfully suggests that the committee give consideration to an amendment which would continue the Surgeon General's existing authority to assign commissioned officers from the regular corps to be, respectively, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Chief of the Bureau of Medical Services, the chief of any bureau established pursuant to clause (5) of section 202 (a), the Chief Medical Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Chief Dental Officer of the Service, and the Chief Sanitary Engineering Officer of the Service. The amendment merely seeks to continue the Surgeon General's existing authority and to relate it to the amendment contained in section 2 of the bill. The American Medical Association again thanks you for this opportunity to present the views of the physicians of America on this important legislation. We shall be pleased to be of further service should the committee require from the association any additional information or comment. Sincerely, F. J. L. BLASINGAME, M.D. (Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the hearing recessed, subject to the call of the Chair.) о STABILIZATION 1hep, 566 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H.R. 3669 A BILL TO AMEND THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT, AND IDENTICAL BILLS 2AN APRIL 23, 24, 25, 26 ; MAY 14 AND 15, 1963 Printed for the use of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce |