[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S1779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (by request):
  S. 1746. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to remove a 
statutory provision requiring a specified number of full-time 
equivalent positions in the VA's Office of Inspector General; to the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


               department of veterans affairs legislation

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, I have today introduced, at the request of the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, S. 1746, a proposed bill to remove a statutory 
provision requiring a specified number of full-time equivalent 
positions in the Office of the Inspector General, Department of 
Veterans Affairs. The Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs submitted 
this legislation to the President of the Senate by letter dated August 
7, 1997.
  My introduction of this measure is in keeping with the policy which I 
have adopted of generally introducing--so that there will be specific 
bills to which my colleagues and others may direct their attention and 
comments--all Administration-proposed draft legislation referred to the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Thus, I reserve the right to support or 
oppose the provisions of, as well as any amendment to, this 
legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be 
pritned in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1746

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Section 312 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking out ``(a)'' in subsection (a); and
       (2) by striking out subsection (b).
                                                                    ____



                            The Secretary of Veterans Affairs,

                                       Washington, August 7, 1997.
     Hon. Al Gore,
     President of the Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: There is transmitted herewith, a draft 
     bill, ``To amend title 38, United States Code, to remove a 
     statutory provision requiring a specified number of full-time 
     equivalent positions in the VA's Office of Inspector 
     General.'' We request that it be referred to the appropriate 
     committees for prompt consideration and enactment.
       This draft bill would eliminate the requirement that the 
     Secretary provide a set level of staffing of 417 full-time 
     equivalent positions for the Office of Inspector General. VA 
     has been unable to meet the statutory employment floor since 
     1993. The Department's full-time equivalent employment level 
     is determined by appropriations, and moreover, the statutory 
     floor limits VA's ability to operate in the most efficient 
     manner. Accordingly, it is appropriate to delete the 
     statutory requirement.
       The draft bill would also eliminate the requirement that 
     the President include in the budget transmitted to Congress 
     an estimate of an amount sufficient for the level of staffing 
     established for the Inspector General. Elimination of the 
     floor renders the report unnecessary.
       The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is 
     no objection to the submission of this proposal, and that 
     enactment of this proposal would be in accord with the 
     program of the President.
           Sincerely yours,
                                                 Hershel W. Gober,
     Acting Secretary.
                                                                    ____


                      Section-by-Section Analysis

       The draft bill would amend 38 U.S.C. Sec. 312 by deleting 
     subsection (b), thus eliminating the requirement that the 
     Secretary shall provide a set level of staffing of 417 full 
     time equivalent positions (``FTE'') for the Inspector 
     General. It would also eliminate the requirement that the 
     President include in the budget transmitted to Congress an 
     estimate of an amount sufficient for the level of staffing 
     established for the Inspector General.
       There are two reasons why the statutory Inspector General 
     FTE level should be eliminated. First, funding restraints 
     since 1993 have prevented VA from meeting the statutory FTE 
     requirement. Second, the statutory FTE level limits VA's 
     ability to operate in the most efficient manner. The proposal 
     also does away with the related reporting requirements 
     because elimination of the statutory FTE level renders the 
     reporting requirement unnecessary.
       There are no costs associated with this proposal.
                                 ______