[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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