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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improved Budget Pres-
entation Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission
which will submit findings and recommendations to pro-
vide a more effective presentation of capital and operating
expenses of the United States Government.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Federal Government does not take a
comprehensive look at capital investment programs
across agency and program lines to see how they fit
into a national strategy for maintaining and improv-
ing the Nation’s public facilities.
(2) Both the executive branch and the Congress
tend to set priorities for physical capital investment
program-by-program. There is no consistent basis
for setting priorities among projects and programs,
and there is no framework in which to identify those
having similar objectives and those that are at cross-
purposes.
(3) This program- and project-orientation
makes planning for public facilities vulnerable to
short-term factors, thus impairing the stability and
predictability needed for an efficient capital invest-
ment program.
(4) A separate capital budget would establish a
useful planning process because it would focus on
long-term projects, costs, and benefits.
SEC. 4. COMMISSION ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE
BUDGET OF THE UNITED STATES.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To carry out the purpose of
section 2, there is established the Commission on the Pres-
entation of the Budget of the United States (hereinafter
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of the following 9 members:
(1) The Deputy Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget, who shall act as Chairman of
the Commission.
(2) The Comptroller General of the United
States, or his or her delegate.
(3) The Director of the Congressional Budget
Office, or his or her delegate.
(4) Two members of the House of Representa-
tives, one appointed by the Speaker of the House
and one appointed by the minority leader of the
House.
(5) Two members of the Senate, one appointed
by the President pro tempore of the Senate and one
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
(6) Two executive branch officials appointed by
the President, who—
(A) are not employed in the Executive Of-
fice of the President;
(B) hold positions at or above level III of
the Executive Schedule; and
(C) have substantial responsibilities for
formulating, presenting, and implementing ex-
ecutive budgets.
(c) COMPLETION OF APPOINTMENTS.—Appointment
of the members of the Commission shall be completed
within 30 days after the effective date of this Act.
(d) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of
the Commission shall not affect its powers, and shall be
filled in the same manner in which the original appoint-
ment was made.
(e) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission
shall not receive compensation for their service on the
Commission, but shall be reimbursed by the Federal orga-
nization in which they are employed for travel, subsist-
ence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the per-
formance of their duties on the Commission.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall—
(1) study and investigate the manner in which
all departments, agencies, independent establish-
ments, and instrumentalities of the United States
Government participate in the formulation and pres-
entation of the United States Budget; and
(2) make such recommendations as the mem-
bers of the Commission consider appropriate to pro-
vide improved governmental processes in the formu-
lation, presentation, and implementation of the Unit-
ed States Budget with respect to—
(A) the ability of the United States Budget
to distinguish between capital activities and op-
erating activities, and between operating funds
and trust funds, to identify the resources need-
ed to meet the Government’s needs;
(B) improved procedures among depart-
ments, agencies, independent establishments,
and instrumentalities of the United States Gov-
ernment to provide improved coordination and
control with respect to the formulation, presen-
tation, and implementation of the United States
Budget; and
(C) more effective arrangements between
the executive branch and the Congress, which
will better enable each to carry out its budget-
ing, revenue, and appropriation responsibilities.
(c) REPORT.—The Commission shall submit a com-
prehensive report to the President and the Congress by
not later than 7 months after the effective date of this
Act, containing the findings and recommendations of the
Commission. Such recommendations may include proposed
legislation and administrative actions the Commission con-
siders appropriate.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) MEETINGS.—(1) The Commission may, for the
purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, hold
such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, ad-
minister such oaths, and require the attendance and testi-
mony of such witnesses and the production of such books,
records, correspondence, memorandums, papers, and doc-
uments, as the Commission may consider advisable.
(2) Five members of the Commission shall constitute
a quorum, except that a lesser number may hold hearings.
(b) OBTAINING INFORMATION, ETC.—The Commis-
sion may request from any executive department, bureau,
agency, board, commission, office, independent establish-
ment, or instrumentality information, suggestions, esti-
mates, and statistics for the purposes of this Act. Each
such department, bureau, agency, board, commission, of-
fice, establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent
not otherwise prohibited by law, furnish such information,
suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Com-
mission, upon request made by the Chairman.
SEC. 7. STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.
The individual Commission members shall obtain
staff support from their respective employing organiza-
tions.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall cease to exist on the 30th day
after the date on which it submits its report under section
5(c).
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