I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1049

To establish the Commission on the Presentation of the Budget of the

United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 23, 1993

Mr. CLINGER (for himself, Mr. HORN, Mr. ZELIFF, Mr. MACHTLEY, Mr.

THOMAS of Wyoming, Mr. WISE, and Mr. HASTERT) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government

Operations

A BILL

To establish the Commission on the Presentation of the

Budget of the United States.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improved Budget Pres5 entation Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission

8 which will submit findings and recommendations to pro-
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1 vide a more effective presentation of capital and operating

2 expenses of the United States Government.

3 SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds the following:

5 (1) The Federal Government does not take a

6 comprehensive look at capital investment programs

7 across agency and program lines to see how they fit

8 into a national strategy for maintaining and improv9 ing the Nation’s public facilities.

10 (2) Both the executive branch and the Congress

11 tend to set priorities for physical capital investment

12 program-by-program. There is no consistent basis

13 for setting priorities among projects and programs,

14 and there is no framework in which to identify those

15 having similar objectives and those that are at cross16 purposes.

17 (3) This program- and project-orientation

18 makes planning for public facilities vulnerable to

19 short-term factors, thus impairing the stability and

20 predictability needed for an efficient capital invest21 ment program.

22 (4) A separate capital budget would establish a

23 useful planning process because it would focus on

24 long-term projects, costs, and benefits.
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1 SEC. 4. COMMISSION ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE

2 BUDGET OF THE UNITED STATES.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To carry out the purpose of

4 section 2, there is established the Commission on the Pres5 entation of the Budget of the United States (hereinafter

6 in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

7 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall be com8 posed of the following 9 members:

9 (1) The Deputy Director of the Office of Man10 agement and Budget, who shall act as Chairman of

11 the Commission.

12 (2) The Comptroller General of the United

13 States, or his or her delegate.

14 (3) The Director of the Congressional Budget

15 Office, or his or her delegate.

16 (4) Two members of the House of Representa17 tives, one appointed by the Speaker of the House

18 and one appointed by the minority leader of the

19 House.

20 (5) Two members of the Senate, one appointed

21 by the President pro tempore of the Senate and one

22 appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.

23 (6) Two executive branch officials appointed by

24 the President, who—

25 (A) are not employed in the Executive Of26 fice of the President;
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1 (B) hold positions at or above level III of

2 the Executive Schedule; and

3 (C) have substantial responsibilities for

4 formulating, presenting, and implementing ex5 ecutive budgets.

6 (c) COMPLETION OF APPOINTMENTS.—Appointment

7 of the members of the Commission shall be completed

8 within 30 days after the effective date of this Act.

9 (d) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of

10 the Commission shall not affect its powers, and shall be

11 filled in the same manner in which the original appoint12 ment was made.

13 (e) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission

14 shall not receive compensation for their service on the

15 Commission, but shall be reimbursed by the Federal orga16 nization in which they are employed for travel, subsist17 ence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the per18 formance of their duties on the Commission.

19 SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall—

21 (1) study and investigate the manner in which

22 all departments, agencies, independent establish23 ments, and instrumentalities of the United States

24 Government participate in the formulation and pres25 entation of the United States Budget; and
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1 (2) make such recommendations as the mem2 bers of the Commission consider appropriate to pro3 vide improved governmental processes in the formu4 lation, presentation, and implementation of the Unit5 ed States Budget with respect to—

6 (A) the ability of the United States Budget

7 to distinguish between capital activities and op8 erating activities, and between operating funds

9 and trust funds, to identify the resources need10 ed to meet the Government’s needs;

11 (B) improved procedures among depart12 ments, agencies, independent establishments,

13 and instrumentalities of the United States Gov14 ernment to provide improved coordination and

15 control with respect to the formulation, presen16 tation, and implementation of the United States

17 Budget; and

18 (C) more effective arrangements between

19 the executive branch and the Congress, which

20 will better enable each to carry out its budget21 ing, revenue, and appropriation responsibilities.

22 (c) REPORT.—The Commission shall submit a com23 prehensive report to the President and the Congress by

24 not later than 7 months after the effective date of this

25 Act, containing the findings and recommendations of the
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1 Commission. Such recommendations may include proposed

2 legislation and administrative actions the Commission con3 siders appropriate.

4 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

5 (a) MEETINGS.—(1) The Commission may, for the

6 purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, hold

7 such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, ad8 minister such oaths, and require the attendance and testi9 mony of such witnesses and the production of such books,

10 records, correspondence, memorandums, papers, and doc11 uments, as the Commission may consider advisable.

12 (2) Five members of the Commission shall constitute

13 a quorum, except that a lesser number may hold hearings.

14 (b) OBTAINING INFORMATION, ETC.—The Commis15 sion may request from any executive department, bureau,

16 agency, board, commission, office, independent establish17 ment, or instrumentality information, suggestions, esti18 mates, and statistics for the purposes of this Act. Each

19 such department, bureau, agency, board, commission, of20 fice, establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent

21 not otherwise prohibited by law, furnish such information,

22 suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Com23 mission, upon request made by the Chairman.
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1 SEC. 7. STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.

2 The individual Commission members shall obtain

3 staff support from their respective employing organiza4 tions.

5 SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

6 The Commission shall cease to exist on the 30th day

7 after the date on which it submits its report under section

8 5(c).

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