Abstract

Struggle for Power: Industry Wins a Battle

The U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954 was approved by the U.S. Congress only after what was probably the greatest legislative battle over the power issue in twenty years. A valiant block of progressive Representatives led by Chet Holifield of California proposed and fought for a series of amendments to a bill which would have hailed the "giveaway" of the people's great new power resource to private monopoly. In the U.S. Senate Wayne Morse of Oregon led the fight for full extension of federal power policy to the atomic field. This fight appeared won when the Senate passed amendments establishing the basis for the people's control of atomic power, but the Republican steam-roller went to work and the bill came out of conference stripped of the most important provisions.