[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN:
  S. 196. A bill to amend the Public Buildings Act of 1959 to require 
the Administrator of General Services to prioritize construction and 
alteration projects in accordance with merit-based needs criteria, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.


 the federal building construction and alteration funding improvement 
                                  act

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
establish a system to ensure that funding for the construction and 
repair of Federal buildings is allocated according to need and 
priority.
  First, the bill would require the President to submit the 
administration's building construction budget request in the form of a 
prioritized list of projects. Second, and most importantly, the bill 
would require the General Services Administration to prepare and 
maintain a ranked priority list of all ongoing and proposed 
construction projects. The list would be updated and reprioritized with 
each new project added either through administrative or congressional 
action.
  Last year, Congress provided nearly $900 million for Federal building 
construction and major repairs not including the funds provided to the 
Department of Defense. Over the past 5 years Congress obligated over $4 
billion for this purpose. This is an enormous sum of money. Clearly, 
the Federal building construction program can and must share in the 
sacrifice as we seek to gain, control over the deficit.
  As we rein in spending, it is more critical now than ever to ensure 
that scarce financial resources are allocated to our highest 
priorities. In order to trim the fat in an informed and efficient 
manner, Congress, the administration and the taxpaying public must know 
what our construction priorities are.
  During debate on the rescission bill in the last Congress, the Senate 
considered proposals to cut Federal construction funding. The list of 
projects proposed for defunding was rather arbitrary and capricious. 
The tenets of good government dictate that when we reduce spending, our 
lowest priorities should be put on the chopping block first. Yet, 
Congress cannot readily determine what those priorities are. By 
requiring the General Services Administration, which administers the 
Federal building fund, to maintain a ranked list of project priorities, 
we can be sure that funding decisions will be made on the basis of 
merit rather than politics or congressional caprice.
  Mr. President, foremost, this legislation will help us address the 
pork barrel politics which has played far too great a role in the 
process of Federal building construction. Currently, when a Member of 
Congress decides a new building is needed in his or her State or 
district, the General Services Administration conducts what is known as 
an 11b survey to determine the need. In most cases, the GSA determines 
that a need exists. The study is then used to justify project 
authorization and appropriation, even though a finding of need is not a 
finding that such a project is a priority.
  As projects that are not in the President's budget request are added 
by Congress, we do not always have a clear idea of where they are 
ranked among competing priorities. Passage of this legislation will 
ensure that this vital information is readily available.
  I urge the relevant committees to expeditiously examine this proposal 
so that we can approve rapidly this relatively minor but, I believe, 
important and helpful change in procedure.
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