[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 107 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7542-H7543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT OF 2000
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on
Government Reform be discharged from the further consideration of the
bill (H.R. 4931) to provide for the training or orientation of
individuals, during a Presidential transition, who the President
intends to appoint to certain key positions, to provide for a study and
report on improving the financial disclosure process for certain
Presidential nominees, and for other purposes, and ask for its
immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not
plan to object, but I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn)
for a brief explanation of the bill.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding
to me. Mr. Speaker, the ranking member has been just inestimable in
terms of all the help he has provided us on this and other pieces of
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4931, the Presidential Transition Act of 2000,
represents a bipartisan effort to update the Presidential Transition
Act of 1963. H.R. 4931 would allow transition funds to be used for a
formal training and orientation process for incoming appointees to
senior administration positions, including cabinet members.
On November 2, 1999, the House passed a bill with similar provisions,
H.R. 3137, by a voice vote under suspension of the rules.
On June 8, 2000, Senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee introduced a
companion bill, S. 2705, the Presidential Transition Act of 2000. The
Senator added some well thought out provisions that call for study and
proposals to improve the financial disclosure process for presidential
nominees.
In addition, the changes made in the Senate bill would require the
administer of the General Services Administration to develop a
transition directory. This directory would be a compilation of Federal
publications supplementary material that would provide a new
presidential appointees with a manual of information about the
organization, statutory and administrative authorities, functions and
duties of each department and agency in the Executive Branch. H.R.
4931, which we are considering today, includes those Senate amendments.
Over the years, there have been many examples of missteps and
outright mistakes made by newly appointed officials in the White House.
Those errors could have been avoided if the officials had more fully
understood the scope of their responsibilities.
H.R. 3137 would set a time frame and authorize the funds for that
necessary training and orientation.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill just as they supported its
predecessor, H.R. 4931. It is an important step toward ensuring that a
new administration, regardless of party affiliation, starts off on the
right foot.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I
want to rise and join with the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) in
strong support of this legislation, H.R. 4931, and urge its adoption.
I want to commend the gentleman from California (Chairman Horn) and
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. Waxman), ranking member, who have all focused on this
bill and to be sure that it is brought before this House today and
becomes law before a new administration occupies the White House.
The Presidential Transition Act would amend the Presidential
Transition Act of 1963 to authorize the use of transition funds for the
purpose of providing orientations for individuals that the President-
elect plans to nominate to top White House positions, including cabinet
positions.
The bill would probably affect 20 to maybe 40 political appointments
in the White House. It is designed to give greater assurance that the
orientation process would take place shortly after the incoming
administration assumes office or preferably before they assume office.
This orientation will provide a smoother transition for a new
administration, eliminating mistakes, and ensuring that the Federal
Government will continue to function at a high level.
Our subcommittee heard testimony from distinguished witnesses who
advocated the adoption of this new provision for orientation programs
for incoming members of a new administration. Witnesses such as Elliot
Richardson, former Attorney General to President Nixon; the Honorable
Lee White, the former Assistant Counsel to President Kennedy and
counsel to President Johnson, shared the unique perspective that they
have regarding the critical nature of this transition period.
[[Page H7543]]
There is no question that whoever is elected as the next President of
the United States must be ready and prepared to go to work on the
morning of November 8. That period between November 8 and inauguration
is, indeed, a very critical period of time, not only for the new
administration, but for the country as a whole.
So I am pleased to join with the gentleman from California (Chairman
Horn) today in urging that this bill be adopted. It is
noncontroversial. It is bipartisan. We have introduced it today and
move that it be adopted by unanimous consent.
Even though we passed the bill on the floor of this House, we have
now incorporated changes suggested by our colleagues in the Senate. I
urge that we adopt it today.
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the bill, as follows:
H.R. 4931
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Presidential Transition Act
of 2000''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT OF 1963.
Section 3(a) of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (3
U.S.C. 102 note) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking
``including--'' and inserting ``including the following:'';
(2) in each of paragraphs (1) through (6) by striking the
semicolon at the end and inserting a period; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(8)(A)(i) Not withstanding subsection (b), payment of
expenses during the transition for briefings, workshops, or
other activities to acquaint key prospective Presidential
appointees with the types of problems and challenges that
most typically confront new political appointees when they
make the transition from campaign and other prior activities
to assuming the responsibility for governance after
inauguration.
``(ii) Activities under this paragraph may include
interchange between such appointees and individuals who--
``(I) held similar leadership roles in prior
administrations;
``(II) are department or agency experts from the Office of
Management and Budget or an Office of Inspector General of a
department or agency; or
``(III) are relevant staff from the General Accounting
Office.
``(iii) Activities under this paragraph may include
training or orientation in records management to comply with
section 2203 of title 44, United States Code, including
training on the separation of Presidential records and
personal records to comply with subsection (b) of that
section.
``(iv) Activities under this paragraph may include training
or orientation in human resources management and performance-
based management.
``(B) Activities under this paragraph shall be conducted
primarily for individuals the President-elect intends to
nominate as department heads or appoint to key positions in
the Executive Office of the President.
``(9)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (b), development of a
transition directory by the Administrator of General Services
Administration, in consultation with the Archivist of the
United States (head of the National Archives and Records
Administration) for activities conducted under paragraph (8).
``(B) The transition directory shall be a compilation of
Federal publications and materials with supplementary
materials developed by the Administrator that provides
information on the officers, organization, and statutory and
administrative authorities, functions, duties,
responsibilities, and mission of each department and agency.
``(10)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (b), consultation by
the Administrator with any candidate for President or Vice
President to develop a systems architecture plan for the
computer and communications systems of the candidate to
coordinate a transition to Federal systems, if the candidate
is elected.
``(B) Consultations under this paragraph shall be conducted
at the discretion of the Administrator.''.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON IMPROVING THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PROCESS
FOR PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Office of Government Ethics shall
conduct a study and submit a report on improvements to the
financial disclosure process for Presidential nominees
required to file reports under section 101(b) of the Ethics
in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) to the Committee on
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Government Reform of the House of Representatives.
(b) Content of Report.--
(1) In general.--The report under this section shall
include recommendations and legislative proposals on--
(A) streamlining, standardizing, and coordinating the
financial disclosure process and the requirements of
financial disclosure reports under the Ethics in Government
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) for Presidential nominees;
(B) avoiding duplication of effort and reducing the burden
of filing with respect to financial disclosure of information
to the White House Office, the Office of Government Ethics,
and the Senate; and
(C) any other relevant matter the Office of Government
Ethics determines appropriate.
(2) Limitation relating to conflicts of interest.--The
recommendations and proposals under this subsection shall not
(if implemented) have the effect of lessening substantive
compliance with any conflict of interest requirement.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out
this section.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the
table.
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