# United States Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy

The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE) was a United States congressional committee that was tasked with exclusive jurisdiction over "all bills, resolutions, and other matters" related to civilian and military aspects of nuclear power from 1946 through 1977. It was established by the United States Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and was the overseer of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. It had been preceded by the Senate Special Committee on Atomic Energy, chaired by Senator Brien McMahon. For its broad powers, it is described as one of the most powerful congressional committees in U.S. history. It was the only permanent joint committee in modern times to have legislative authority.
The panel coupled these legislative powers with exclusive access to the information upon which its highly secretive deliberations were based. In particular its relations with the U.S. Department of Defense and the individual armed services were especially close. The joint committee was also entitled by statute to be kept "fully and currently informed" of all commission activities and vigorously exercised that statutory right, demanding information and attention from the executive branch in a fashion that arguably has no equivalent today.
During the early years of the Cold War, McMahon became the Senate's most prominent expert on atomic energy matters and as chairman exercised considerable influence towards increasing the focus on nuclear weapons as being essential to the American national interest. In this McMahon was aided by the executive director of the committee's staff, William L. Borden, who himself became a powerful figure. Senator Bourke Hickenlooper also served as chair during the early years of the committee and shared a similar sensibility. Indeed regardless of which party controlled the committee, the push for increased production of nuclear materials, and a resultant increase in the American nuclear stockpile, continued.
One major power wielded by the JCAE was the "Legislative Veto". This unique power enabled the JCAE to influence policy decisions while matters were pending. This enabled the JCAE to act as a co-decision maker with the executive branch rather than only providing congressional oversight of actions that had already occurred. The legislative veto power was later found to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in 1983.
This committee was the main opponent to the creation of the EPA. The Ash Council addressed its resistance to interference by proposing to only transfer over to the new agency the responsibilities of setting radiation standards outside of nuclear power plants.
The JCAE had various subcommittees including Agreements for Cooperation, Communities, Legislation, Military Application, National Security, Raw Materials, Radiation (Special), and Research and Development.
During the 1970s, the committee's role in shaping nuclear policy began to diminish after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created to replace the Atomic Energy Commission. Congress soon transferred the bulk of the joint committee's jurisdiction over civilian nuclear power to other standing congressional committees in the House and Senate. The joint committee was finally abolished on August 5, 1977.

## Prominent members

* Brien McMahon (D-CT), 1946–52: Senator who was legislative author of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, chairman of the JCAE whenever Democrats controlled Congress (1946, and 1949–52), until his death. Chairman of the JCAE during detection of the first Soviet atomic bomb, the debate over the hydrogen bomb, and the discovery of Klaus Fuchs as a spy.
* Bourke Hickenlooper (R-IA), 1946–68: Ranking senator throughout much of its early history; chairman of the JCAE from 1947 to 1948. In 1949, he led a campaign accusing AEC chairman David E. Lilienthal of "incredible mismanagement" of the US nuclear complex.

## Committee members, 1946–1977

The joint committee had equal representation between both the House and Senate, with 5 majority and 4 minority members from each house. The committee was chaired by a senator from the majority party until the 83rd Congress, when the chairmanship began to alternate between a majority representative and majority senator.

### 79th Congress, 1946

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Brien McMahon, Connecticut, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Tom Connally, Texas Harry F. Byrd, Virginia | Arthur Vandenberg, Michigan Eugene Millikin, Colorado Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa William Knowland, California |
| House members | R. Ewing Thomason, Texas, Vice Chair Carl T. Durham, North Carolina Aime Forand, Rhode Island Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois | Charles Elston, Ohio J. Parnell Thomas, New Jersey Carl Hinshaw, California Clare Boothe Luce, Connecticut |

### 80th Congress, 1947–1949

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa, Chair Arthur Vandenberg, Michigan Eugene Millikin, Colorado William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio | Brien McMahon, Connecticut Richard Russell, Georgia Edwin C. Johnson, Colorado Tom Connally, Texas |
| House members | W. Sterling Cole, New York, Vice Chair Charles Elston, Ohio Carl Hinshaw, California James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania James T. Patterson, Connecticut | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Lyndon Johnson, Texas |

### 81st Congress, 1949–1951

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Brien McMahon, Connecticut, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Edwin C. Johnson, Colorado Tom Connally, Texas Millard Tydings, Maryland | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Eugene Millikin, Colorado William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio |
| House members | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina, Vice Chair Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas Henry M. Jackson, Washington | W. Sterling Cole, New York Charles Elston, Ohio Carl Hinshaw, California James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania |

### 82nd Congress, 1951–1953

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Brien McMahon, Connecticut, Chair (until July 28, 1952) Richard Russell, Georgia Edwin C. Johnson, Colorado Lyndon Johnson, Texas Clinton Anderson, New Mexico | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Eugene Millikin, Colorado William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio |
| House members | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina, Vice Chair Acting Chair (from July 28, 1952) Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas Henry M. Jackson, Washington | W. Sterling Cole, New York Charles Elston, Ohio Carl Hinshaw, California James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania |

### 83rd Congress, 1953–1955

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa, Vice Chair Eugene Millikin, Colorado William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio Guy Cordon, Oregon | Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico John Pastore, Rhode Island Al Gore Sr., Tennessee |
| House members | W. Sterling Cole, New York, Chair Carl Hinshaw, California James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania James T. Patterson, Connecticut Thomas A. Jenkins, Ohio | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas |

### 84th Congress, 1955–1957

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Clinton Anderson, New Mexico, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia John Pastore, Rhode Island Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Eugene Millikin, Colorado William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio |
| House members | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina, Vice Chair Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas John J. Dempsey, New Mexico | W. Sterling Cole, New York Carl Hinshaw, California James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania James T. Patterson, Connecticut |

### 85th Congress, 1957–1959

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Clinton Anderson, New Mexico, Vice Chair Richard Russell, Georgia John Pastore, Rhode Island Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa William Knowland, California John W. Bricker, Ohio Henry Dworshak, Idaho |
| House members | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina, Chair Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas John J. Dempsey, New Mexico (until March 11, 1958) Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado (from March 17, 1958) | W. Sterling Cole, New York (until December 1, 1957) James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania James T. Patterson, Connecticut Thomas A. Jenkins, Ohio Craig Hosmer, California (from January 15, 1958) |

### 86th Congress, 1959–1961

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Clinton Anderson, New Mexico, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia John Pastore, Rhode Island Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Henry Dworshak, Idaho George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah |
| House members | Carl T. Durham, North Carolina, Vice Chair Chet Holifield, California Melvin Price, Illinois Paul J. Kilday, Texas (until January 29, 1959) Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado Albert Thomas, Texas (from January 21, 1959) | James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts Jack Westland, Washington |

### 87th Congress, 1961–1963

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Vice Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Henry Dworshak, Idaho (until July 23, 1962) George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Everett Dirksen, Illinois (from July 31, 1962) |
| House members | Chet Holifield, California, Chair Melvin Price, Illinois Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado Albert Thomas, Texas Thomas G. Morris, New Mexico | James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts Jack Westland, Washington |

### 88th Congress, 1963–1965

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Everett Dirksen, Illinois (until February 11, 1963) Carl Curtis, Nebraska (from February 11, 1963) |
| House members | Chet Holifield, California, Vice Chair Melvin Price, Illinois Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado Albert Thomas, Texas Thomas G. Morris, New Mexico | James E. Van Zandt, Pennsylvania William H. Bates, Massachusetts Jack Westland, Washington John B. Anderson, Illinois |

### 89th Congress, 1965–1967

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Vice Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Carl Curtis, Nebraska |
| House members | Chet Holifield, California, Chair Melvin Price, Illinois Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado Albert Thomas, Texas (until February 15, 1966) Thomas G. Morris, New Mexico John Young, Texas (from March 1, 1966) | Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts John B. Anderson, Illinois William McCulloch, Ohio |

### 90th Congress, 1967–1969

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Carl Curtis, Nebraska |
| House members | Chet Holifield, California, Vice Chair Melvin Price, Illinois Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado Thomas G. Morris, New Mexico John Young, Texas | Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts John B. Anderson, Illinois William McCulloch, Ohio |

### 91st Congress, 1969–1971

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Vice Chair Richard Russell, Georgia Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Al Gore Sr., Tennessee Henry M. Jackson, Washington | George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Carl Curtis, Nebraska Norris Cotton, New Hampshire |
| House members | Chet Holifield, California, Chair Melvin Price, Illinois Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado John Young, Texas Ed Edmondson, Oklahoma | Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts (until June 22, 1969) John B. Anderson, Illinois William McCulloch, Ohio Catherine Dean May, California (from July 24, 1969) |

### 92nd Congress, 1971–1973

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Chair Richard Russell, Georgia (until January 21, 1971) Clinton Anderson, New Mexico Henry M. Jackson, Washington Stuart Symington, Missouri (from January 28, 1971) Alan Bible, Nevada | George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Carl Curtis, Nebraska (until February 4, 1971) Norris Cotton, New Hampshire (until February 10, 1971) Peter H. Dominick, Colorado (from February 10, 1971) Howard Baker, Tennessee (from February 10, 1971) |
| House members | Melvin Price, Illinois, Vice Chair Chet Holifield, California Wayne N. Aspinall, Colorado John Young, Texas Ed Edmondson, Oklahoma | Craig Hosmer, California William H. Bates, Massachusetts John B. Anderson, Illinois William McCulloch, Ohio Orval Hansen, Idaho |

### 93rd Congress, 1973–1975

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Vice Chair Henry M. Jackson, Washington Stuart Symington, Missouri Alan Bible, Nevada (until December 17, 1974) Joseph Montoya, New Mexico | George Aiken, Vermont Wallace F. Bennett, Utah Peter H. Dominick, Colorado Howard Baker, Tennessee |
| House members | Melvin Price, Illinois, Chair Chet Holifield, California (until December 13, 1974) John Young, Texas Teno Roncalio, Wyoming Mike McCormack, Washington John E. Moss, California (from December 13, 1974) | Craig Hosmer, California John B. Anderson, Illinois Orval Hansen, Idaho Manuel Lujan Jr., New Mexico |

### 94th Congress, 1975–1977

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | John Pastore, Rhode Island, Chair Henry M. Jackson, Washington Stuart Symington, Missouri Joseph Montoya, New Mexico John V. Tunney, California | Howard Baker, Tennessee Clifford P. Case, New Jersey James B. Pearson, Kansas James L. Buckley, New York |
| House members | Melvin Price, Illinois, Vice Chair John Young, Texas Teno Roncalio, Wyoming Mike McCormack, Washington John E. Moss, California | John B. Anderson, Illinois Manuel Lujan Jr., New Mexico Frank Horton, New York Andrew J. Hinshaw, California |

### 95th Congress, 1977

| | Majority | Minority |
| Senate members | Henry M. Jackson, Washington, Vice Chair | |
| House members | Vacant, Chair | |

## Staff members

* William L. Borden, executive director of staff, 1949–1953: Unusually powerful and influential staff figure who advocated for nuclear weapons development in the United States government. Most known for sending a letter that led to the Oppenheimer security hearing.