Part: 12         Session: 145678910111213141516171819202122         Page 318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368 of 999

committee, and with one thing and another, I finally did get Ancher Nelson, a Congressman, and he conceived the idea that although Rogers would not give in and let the head of the Cancer Institute report to the President, that he might give in to the extent that the President might have a Cancer Attack Panel appointed by himself and that this Cancer Attack Panel would monitor what was going on in the Cancer Institute and notify the President if there were any bureaucratic blockages. Well, believe it or not, the House committee accepted that.

Would that be a necessary thing?

Well, it is a good idea because the President wouldn't give any timeto it anyway. We'd probably if we hadn't had this have gotten Erlichmann or Haldeman or somebody -- both of whom are arch Christian Scientists -- to be the people to whom the head of the Cancer Institute reported. So it was a very good idea on the part of Nelson, in this particular case, and very ingenious, and one that was accepted.

They also put in that the President should appoint the head of NIH, formerly appointed by the head of HEW, and the head of the Cancer Institute. Now, this is revolutionary because the President, if the head of the NIH doesn't do what he wants in this matter, can remove the head of NIH and put him some place else without any ado. He doesn't have to persuade the head of HEW about it.

It's a direct line of authority. Now, this is very different from anything that's ever happened before.

Isn't it a kind of an awesome prececent to establish, though?