[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12402-S12403]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE ACT OF 1996

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration 
of H.R. 3864 and, further, the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3864) to amend laws authorizing auditing, 
     reporting, and other functions by the General Accounting 
     Office.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 3864, the 
General Accounting Office Management Reform Act of 1996. The Congress 
has reduced spending for GAO by 25 percent over

[[Page S12403]]

1996-97. H.R. 3864 will allow GAO to make the best use of limited 
resources by modifying or terminating a number of activities and 
reporting requirements that are no longer central to their mission.
  For example, section 102(d) of H.R. 3864 will eliminate a requirement 
placed on GAO by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
of 1985, also known as Gramm-Rudman. Gramm-Rudman currently requires 
GAO to report whether the final sequestration order from the Office of 
Management and Budget complies with the law. GAO has issued their 
report every year, even though in the 10 years since Gramm-Rudman has 
been enacted large-scale sequestrations have only been a concern in two 
of those years. H.R. 3864 would make this report contingent upon 
request of the Budget Committees, who no doubt would request such a 
report if the situation warranted.
  Although section 102(d) is clearly within the jurisdiction of the 
Budget Committee, I will not object because the Budget Committee 
supports the change that is being made. I congratulate the chairman and 
ranking member of the Governmental Affairs Committee for producing a 
bill that will encourage efficiency in GAO operations and urge that the 
bill do pass.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
deemed read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and any statements relating to the bill be placed at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 3864) was deemed read the third time and passed.

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