[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CORRECTION TO THE RECORD OF JULY 28, 1997, PAGE H5879

  The speech printed on page H5879 and erroneously attributed to Mr. 
Burton of Indiana, was submitted under general leave by Mr. Waxman, and 
should appear as follows:
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Chairman, the legislative branch appropriations bill 
for fiscal year 1998 cuts the funding level for the General Accounting 
Office by $9 million from the fiscal year 1997 funding level. This cut 
is unwise and unfair and should be reversed in Conference.
  Two years ago, the GAO and House and Senate appropriators reached an 
agreement on a two-year plan to reduce GAO's budget. As part of that 
agreement, GAO's budget has been reduced by 25 percent and its staffing 
has dropped below 3,500--its lowest level in almost 60 years. These 
cuts have taken a heavy toll. Hiring and promotions have been frozen 
for a long time. Staff reductions have diminished expertise in key 
areas. And needed investments in information technology have been 
placed on hold. Additional cuts now are not only a violation of that 
agreement, they will result in a loss of morale and a further loss in 
staff expertise as the agency's future is cast in doubt.
  Instead of pursuing this foolish course of action, the House should 
have honored the agreement over funding for the GAO. It could easily 
have made up for the revenue difference by refusing to fund the 
Government Reform and Oversight's partisan witch-hunt into campaign 
fundraising practices. The budget for that ``investigation'' is an 
extravagant waste of taxpayers' money. The Senate is doing a better, 
and fairer, job while the House's investigation is in a shambles. We 
are wasting millions of dollars on a mistake-plagued House 
investigation which duplicates the more comprehensive and bipartisan 
efforts of the Senate. Instead of funding partisan investigations in 
the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, let's give money to 
those than can really use it, the professional auditors and 
investigators of the GAO.
  The Senate has also taken a much wiser approach to GAO's funding, and 
kept faith with the agreement reached two years ago. By funding GAO at 
their requested level, the Senate has provided less than a 2 percent 
increase; not enough for any staff or program increases, just enough to 
continue current operations at their present levels. In essence it is a 
cost of living increase. This is certainly the least Congress should 
provide for the GAO, our own investigative arm. The cuts in the House 
bill are penny wise and pound foolish because the GAO remains an 
excellent investment for the American taxpayer. The financial benefits 
from its work in the last five years alone total over $103 billion.
  If we in Congress are to continue doing our jobs well, we need a 
strong and effective General Accounting Office. I urge my colleagues on 
the House Appropriations Committee to carefully consider these issues 
during the conference with the Senate on this bill.

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