[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 36 (Monday, September 11, 1995)]
[Pages 1509-1510]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress Reporting 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 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

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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.