    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [September 6, 1995]
    [Pages 1314-1315]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Report on Federal Advisory
    Committees
    September 6, 1995

    To the Congress of the United States:
        As provided by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended
    (Public Law 92-463; 5 U.S.C. App. 2, 6(c)), I am submitting my second
    Annual Report on Federal Advisory Committees covering fiscal year 1994.
        This report highlights continuing efforts by my Administration to
    reduce and manage Federal advisory committees. Since the issuance of
    Executive Order No. 12838, as one of my first acts as President, we have
    reduced the overall number of discretionary advisory committees by 335
    to achieve a net total of 466 chartered groups by the end of fiscal year
    1994. This reflects a net reduction of 42 percent over the 801
    discretionary committees in existence at the beginning of my
    Administration--substantially exceeding the one-third target required by
    the Executive order.
        In addition, agencies have taken steps to enhance their management
    and oversight of advisory committees to ensure these committees get down
    to the public's business, complete it, and then go out of business. I am
    also pleased to

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    report that the total aggregate cost of supporting advisory committees,
    including the 429 specifically mandated by the Congress, has been
    reduced by $10.5 million or by over 7 percent.
        On October 5, 1994, my Administration instituted a permanent process
    for conducting an annual comprehensive review of all advisory committees
    through Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-135,
    ``Management of Federal Advisory Committees.'' Under this planning
    process, agencies are required to review all advisory committees,
    terminate those no longer necessary, and plan for any future committee
    needs.
        On July 21, 1994, my Administration forwarded for your consideration
    a proposal to eliminate 31 statutory advisory committees that were no
    longer necessary. The proposal, introduced by then Chairman Glenn of the
    Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs as S. 2463, outlined an
    additional $2.4 million in annual savings possible through the
    termination of these statutory committees. I urge the Congress to pursue
    this legislation--adding to it if possible--and to also follow our
    example by instituting a review process for statutory advisory
    committees to ensure they are performing a necessary mission and have
    not outlived their usefulness.
        My Administration also supports changes to the Federal Advisory
    Committee Act to facilitate communications between Federal, State,
    local, and tribal governments. These changes are needed to support this
    Administration's efforts to expand the role of these stakeholders in
    governmental policy deliberations. We believe these actions will help
    promote better communications and consensus building in a less
    adversarial environment.
        I am also directing the Administrator of General Services to
    undertake a review of possible actions to more thoroughly involve the
    Nation's citizens in the development of Federal decisions affecting
    their lives. This review should focus on the value of citizen
    involvement as an essential element of our efforts to reinvent
    Government, as a strategic resource that must be maximized, and as an
    integral part of our democratic heritage. This effort may result in a
    legislative proposal to promote citizen participation at all levels of
    government consistent with the great challenges confronting us.
        We continue to stand ready to work with the Congress to assure the
    appropriate use of advisory committees and to achieve the purposes for
    which this law was enacted.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    September 6, 1995.