[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12329-S12330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT OF GOVERNMENT 
                MANAGEMENT AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 Mr. COHEN. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to the 
staff of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and the 
District of Columbia.
  I have had the pleasure of serving either as the chairman or the 
ranking member during my entire tenure in the Senate. The subcommittee 
has been responsible for a number of significant legislative and 
oversight accomplishments during the past 18 years and, while it would 
take too long to describe each of these accomplishments, I want to 
mention just a few of them:
  The Competition in Contracting Act [CICA] of 1984, major procurement 
reform which remarkably improved the way Government agencies acquire 
goods and services.
  The independent counsel law, which serves to ensure that wrongdoing 
at the highest levels of Government will be impartially investigated.
  The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988, designed to improve

[[Page S12330]]

the regulation and accuracy of medical laboratory tests.
  More recently and under the leadership of Senator Levin, the 
Subcommittee was instrumental in the passage of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act which requires public registration of professional lobbyists.
  Just this year, the subcommittee was responsible for the enactment of 
the Information Technology Management Reform Act. This landmark 
legislation will save taxpayers billions of dollars by changing the way 
the federal government approaches, purchases and uses technology.

  As a result of two subcommittee hearings, the Federal Employee Travel 
Reform Act of 1996 recently became law. This act represents the biggest 
change in Federal travel rules in 40 years and will result in an 
estimated savings of $4 billion over the next five years.
  Not only has the subcommittee staff achieved significant legislative 
accomplishments, but they have worked tirelessly to ensure that the 
subcommittee's oversight function was performed aggressively, credibly, 
and with the utmost integrity and care. Regardless of the issue, the 
subcommittee has undertaken its oversight role with vigor and tenacity. 
The subcommittee has performed oversight on issues ranging from 
procurement to Government ethics and, more recently, from bank failures 
and federal construction to aviation safety.
  The subcommittee has also published a number of investigative reports 
which have had significant impact on Government reform. These reports 
include ``Federal Government Losing Millions By Not Minding the 
Concessions Store'' and ``Computer Chaos: Billions Wasted Buying 
Federal Computer Systems''. A soon to be released report on Federally 
Funded Research and Development Centers [FFRDC] will lay the groundwork 
to significantly improve the Federal role in promoting scientific 
research.
  Today, I wanted to pay tribute to the staff who have worked 
tirelessly in recent years to continue the tradition of excellence 
always associated with the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government 
Management. Under the leadership of staff director Kim Corthell and 
deputy staff director Paul Brubaker, the staff continues to perform a 
respected and recognized oversight and legislative function on Capitol 
Hill.
  I want to express my gratitude and thanks to the current subcommittee 
staff--Kim Corthell, Paul Brubaker, Paulina Collins, Bill Greenwalt, 
Frankie deVergie, and Andrea Gerber.
  I also want to recognize and thank other members of my staff who 
served on the subcommittee in the past--Mary Gerwin, Priscilla Hanley, 
Andy Antrobus, Jennifer Goldthwait, Kelly Metcalf Meese, Julie Denison, 
and Matthew Frost.
  Finally, I want to mention and thank the individuals who have most 
recently served on the subcommittee as fellows and detailees--Don 
Mullinax, Ralph Dawn, Marty Grenn, Chris Condon, and Peter Wade.
  These women and men made an invaluable contribution to the 
subcommittee's work and to improving government. I deeply appreciate 
their loyalty and dedication, and I wish all of these talented and hard 
working individuals continued success and much happiness in their 
future endeavors.

                          ____________________