[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 102 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8008-S8009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2002


                    OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, my amendment intends to restore a lost 
capability to assess the effects of science and technology on our 
Congressional policymaking process.
  Mr. DURBIN. Is the Senator proposing to restart the former Office of 
Technology Assessment?

[[Page S8009]]

  Mr. BINGAMAN. I am not proposing to restart Office of Technology 
Assessment (or OTA). But, I feel that today we lack the analytical 
insight of its technology assessment process.
  Mr. DURBIN. How is the Senator proposing that these funds be used?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. I am proposing a one year pilot program to utilize 
technology assessment methodology to analyze current science and 
technology issues affecting our Congress. I am proposing to implement 
this by contracting with outside non-profit agencies such as the 
National Academy of Sciences. My intent was for the Congressional 
Research Service to manage this activity as I feel they are better 
suited to conduct and oversee this type of long term research activity. 
In doing so. I was hoping that oversight would be provided by the 
Senate Rules and House Administration Committees and through these 
Committees, the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.
  Mr. DURBIN. Who is the Senator now proposing to manage this activity?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. It has been suggested that the General Accounting 
Office can better serve this function. I feel that the General 
Accounting Office may not be suited for such a long term research 
activity. The GAO is investigative in nature. However, it is better to 
start an initial pilot program utilizing the OTA technology assessment 
method rather than no pilot program at all. So, I offer this amendment 
to use the General Accounting Office. But, I ask the Chairman that 
during conference, serious consideration be given to my request of 
having the Congressional Research Service manage this pilot program.
  Mr. DURBIN. How will the initial studies be chosen for the pilot 
program and how will it be reported?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. The General Accounting Office should submit a listing 
of Congressionally relevant technology assessment studies to its 
oversight committees, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and 
the House Committee on Government Reform. From this list, two projects 
should be chosen, one by each Committee no later than October 31st, 
2001. The technology assessment studies should then begin with a report 
given to both Committees, and the House and Senate Appropriations 
Committee, no later than June 15, 2002. At that time the decision can 
be made as to whether this technology assessment process was beneficial 
enough to continue it a second year. If this pilot program is to 
continue, I recommend that the funding be executed using the Office of 
Technology Assessment authorization language. Rather than OTA's 200 
person, $20 million budget, the organization would be a small 
legislative branch staff using outside non-profit groups to perform the 
in-depth research.

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