[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      CHANGES WITH RESPECT TO GPO

                                 ______


                            HON. PETE GEREN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 29, 1994

  Mr. GEREN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last night a joint House-Senate 
conference committee considering H.R. 4454, the Legislative 
Appropriations Act, agreed to dramatic changes with regard to the role 
of the Government Printing Office [GPO]. As it now stands, this bill 
would rewrite section 207 of Public Law 102-392 to give GPO expansive 
new powers that would affect virtually every executive branch agency.
  Historically, GPO has been charged with traditional printing and 
binding. H.R. 4454 would now require nearly all duplicating by Federal 
agencies be procured by or through the GPO. Re-writing section 207 in 
this manner would expand GPO's jurisdiction to a far wider range of 
operations, including laser printing and photocopying. As it is, GPO is 
often unable to meet current agency requirements in a timely and cost 
efficient manner. Expanding its authority as proposed would not serve 
Congress or the taxpayers well.
  Mr. Speaker, contrary to GPO's claims, this legislation will not 
result in any cost savings. In fact, altering section 207 as the Senate 
bill would do will create a management and budgetary nightmare. 
According to Leon Panetta, the former Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget and now White House Chief of Staff, ``by 
establishing an unnecessary procurement bottleneck, the provision would 
adversely affect the efficient use of laser printers and copiers by 
executive branch agencies in the furtherance of their missions, and 
would increase costs ultimately born by the taxpayers.''
  In this era of leaner budgets can we really afford such an 
experiment? As this matter is debated again in the House, I urge my 
colleagues to keep these facts in mind and reject the conference report 
on H.R. 4454.

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