United States Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy facts for kids

The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE) was a very powerful committee in the United States Congress. From 1946 to 1977, it was in charge of everything related to nuclear power, both for peaceful uses (like making electricity) and for military uses (like nuclear weapons).

This committee was created by a law called the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Its main job was to oversee the United States Atomic Energy Commission, which was the government agency dealing with atomic energy. The JCAE was so powerful that many people say it was one of the strongest congressional committees in U.S. history. It was the only permanent joint committee (meaning it had members from both the House and the Senate) that could actually make laws.

How the JCAE Got Things Done

The JCAE had special powers. It could make laws about nuclear energy, and it also had exclusive access to secret information. This information was used in its private meetings. The committee had a very close relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense and the different parts of the military.

By law, the JCAE also had to be kept "fully and currently informed" about everything the Atomic Energy Commission was doing. The committee used this right strongly, demanding information and attention from the government's executive branch (like the President and his team). This level of power is rarely seen today.

Nuclear Power During the Cold War

During the early years of the Cold War, a time of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Senator Brien McMahon became a top expert on atomic energy. As the committee's chairman, he strongly pushed for more nuclear weapons. He believed these weapons were vital for America's safety.

McMahon was helped by William L. Borden, who was the committee's executive director. Borden also became a very influential person. Senator Bourke Hickenlooper also led the committee in its early years and shared similar ideas. No matter which political party was in charge, the committee always pushed for making more nuclear materials and increasing America's nuclear weapons supply.

The "Legislative Veto" Power

One special power the JCAE had was called the "Legislative Veto." This allowed the committee to influence decisions while they were still being planned. This meant the JCAE acted like a co-decision maker with the executive branch. It wasn't just checking on things that had already happened. However, this "legislative veto" power was later found to be unconstitutional (meaning against the U.S. Constitution) by the United States Supreme Court in 1983.

Committee Structure and End

The JCAE had several smaller groups called subcommittees. These included groups for Agreements for Cooperation, Communities, Legislation, Military Application, National Security, Raw Materials, Radiation (Special), and Research and Development.

In the 1970s, the committee's role in nuclear policy started to shrink. This happened after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created to take over from the Atomic Energy Commission. Congress then moved most of the JCAE's power over civilian nuclear energy to other committees in the House and Senate. The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy was finally closed down on August 5, 1977.

Important Members

• Brien McMahon (1946–1952): He was a Senator from Connecticut and wrote the law that created the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. He was the JCAE chairman when Democrats were in control. He led the committee when the first Soviet atomic bomb was detected, during debates about the hydrogen bomb, and when spy Klaus Fuchs was discovered.
• Bourke Hickenlooper (1946–1968): He was a Senator from Iowa and a key Republican member for many years. He was chairman of the JCAE from 1947–1948. In 1949, he accused the head of the Atomic Energy Commission of "incredible mismanagement" of the U.S. nuclear program.

Committee Members, 1946–1977

The JCAE had an equal number of members from both the House and the Senate. There were 5 members from the majority party and 4 from the minority party from each house. A senator from the majority party usually chaired the committee until the 83rd Congress. After that, the chairmanship switched between a majority representative from the House and a majority senator.

Staff Members

• William L. Borden, executive director of staff, 1949–1953: He was a very powerful staff member who pushed for developing nuclear weapons in the U.S. government. He is most known for sending a letter that led to the Oppenheimer security hearing.