Evening star., 1947-08-10
Changes in Congress
Under Reorganization
Hailed by konroney
By Don S. Worren


House last night praised the Re-
publican-controlled 80th Con-
gress for making vast improve
ments" in the congressional
organization, but challenged it te
60 on and achieve fiscal controls
adequate for a $4,000, ,000, ,00(
Government business.
Representative Monroney, Demo.
crat, of Oklahoma, a coauthor o1
the congressional reorganization
plan, said his study showed Congress
rang up q $3.50 score in the first
seven months under the new rules
Discussing the heavy work load
faced by Congress, ne pointedly
commented that this could be re-
duced If home rule" were granted
District residents, as recommended
in the original report OF the Joint
Congressional Committee on Reor.
ganization.
Achievements Defended.
Defending achievements under the
modernization plan. Mr.. Monroney
said the most conspicuous failure
was in not carrying out, or in most
instances even to try" recommen-
dations regarding the Nations huge
fiscal management.
He contended that Congress can
Eff ~ e1 daetrne y,eoLa a suorEi yao
proposition out of the legislative
budget ceiling system included in
the Reorganization Act. If that is
allowed to 60 by the boards. he ad-
ded, "one OF the principal gains Of
reorganization" will have been lost
The new Congress made an effort
toward q Legislative budget" but
1t finally was left on the shelf. Prior
to action on the big appropriation
bills. the House called for $6,000,-
D00, 1000 cut in the Presidents Sudget
of $37 500 900 900. The Senate low.
cred the cut to $4.500, ,000.00 The
two chambers never reached a COM
promise on the spending ceiling
leaving the end result to actions on
the individual appropriation bills.
Methods Called Obsolete.
mo money can be spent that Il
not appropriated by Congress, and
full responsibility for final deter
mination of Government expenses
is there" said Mr.. Monroney.
For years, the obsolete methods
Inadequate stats, uncertain and
hodge-podge accounting systems
have been severely criticized by stu
dents of, Congress. The fiscal con-
troll of the largest enterprise in the
world, as handled by Congress, can
not compare with the careful. mod
ern budgetary methods used by even
the smallest chain store organiza-
ton"
Since practically none of the fis-
cal control reforms was even tried,
Mr.. Monroney contended, attacks
made by critics Of the Reorganiza- =
lion Act are patiently unfounded.
Second Failure Cited.
In addition to failure to achieve
4 Legislative budget" he mentioned
lack of early provision of an en-
larged STAN Of auditors, accountants
and budget experts for the con-
yressional appropriation committees
to make an advance study Of the
budget proposals.
To make the legislative budget
he continued. "a skilled,
expert staff should confer often with
the agency budget omcers while
their needs are being formulated
and follow through with careful
until the sums are fixed
In the Presidents budget"
Along with this. he protested that
Congress, in its recent session, failed
to provide funds for the General
Accounting Ofiice to ar1alyze ex-
by Government agencies,
to see If they had been "econom-
lcally and efficiently administered
and expended" Also, he comment
ed, nothing had been done to es-
6abllSh show case" accounting OF
agency expense items,
as also recommended in the Reor-
ganization Act.
Lack of Staff Criticized.
Failure Of the House Appropria-
lions Committee to vote itself "ade-
quate staff members for the gigantic
job of going through the $35, ,000,-
000, 900 budget with a fine tooth
comb" he continued, marked an
other departure from the reorgani-
cation plan. Although a special in
vestigating staff was set up and per-
formed well during the session, only
Ave Of its members were on a full
time basis and most of the others
were laid of during the recess Of
Congress"