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<br />(j " -" ~". :' <br />U f~ ~ " <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-2- <br /> <br />level that does justice to our needs or effectively utilizes our <br /> <br />capabilities. The role of this Subcommittee in bringing about some <br /> <br />improvement is fully recognized and gratefully acknowledged. without <br /> <br />your willingness to face up to the issues of adequate public works <br /> <br />funding, one can only imagine what the situation would be. <br /> <br />Despite your timely efforts, however, we have not realized the <br /> <br />progress that we might have for the sole reason that the Admin- <br /> <br />istrationsimply cannot or will not face up to the importance of <br /> <br />these kinds of programs, and we in the Congress are not really <br /> <br />doing much about it. Mr. Chairman, the practice of Executive with- <br /> <br />holding of funds legally appropriated by the Congress in an Act <br /> <br />approved by the President is a practice that just must be brought <br /> <br />under some degree of control. I, for one, think that it violates the <br /> <br />spirit of the Constitution, if indeed it is not outright illegal. <br /> <br />In this connection, I have endorsed the efforts of the Senate Sub- <br /> <br />committee on the Separation of Powers in its study of this practice <br /> <br />and will likewise support any other well-reasoned program to re- <br /> <br />assert the prerogatives of the Congress to manage revenues and <br /> <br />appropriations. <br /> <br />Until that day arrives, however, I feel that we must continue <br /> <br />to augment the Administration's budgets and to bring them to a <br /> <br />level more nearly commensurate with the importance of natural resources <br /> <br />