The Organization of Congress: Summary of Hearings Before the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, Congress of the United States, Seventy-ninth Congress, First Session, Pursuant to H. Con. Res. 18, a Concurrent Resolution Establishing a Joint Committee on the Organization of the Congress, March 13-June 29, 1945 ...U.S. Government Printing Office, 1945 - 60 pages |
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1945 The Joint Accounting Office adequate staffing administrative agencies Appropriations Committee argued assistant bers bills clerk committee staffs committee system Concurrent Resolution 18 Congress continued congressional committees constituents continued its hearings described District of Columbia establish executive agencies executive branch expenditures experts favored Federal fiscal functions Government gress handling hearings today pursuant House Committee House Concurrent Resolution House of Representatives inquiry Jensen Joint Committee jurisdiction Justice Byrnes last witness Legislative Counsel Legislative Reference Service Legislative Staff Service majority and minority Members of Congress ments Michener minority members mittee National Organization of Congress party personnel Plumley Poage present were Senator President procedure proposed pursuant to House question period Ramspeck recommendations reorganization reports Representatives Monroney responsibility Robert Heller second witness Senator La Follette Senator Taylor Smith special committees standing committees strengthening submitted suggested tees testimony tion tive trative United States Senator vice chairman Voorhis
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Page 43 - ... the United States Government and enabling it better to meet its responsibilities under the Constitution. Our committee was created in response to a widespread congressional and public belief that a grave constitutional crisis exists in which the fate of representative government itself is at stake. Public affairs are now handled by a host of administrative agencies headed by nonelected officials with only casual oversight by Congress. The course of events has created a breach between government...
Page 52 - RECOMMENDATION XIV With certain exceptions, members of Congress should receive at age 55 annual Service Retirement pay of $1,000 for each full year of Congressional service, up to a maximum of $10,000 annually. Most of the reasons supporting the previous recommendation apply equally to this one.
Page 11 - To prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary one title at a time, a complete compilation, restatement, and revision of the general and permanent laws of the United States which conforms to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original enactments, with such amendments and corrections as will remove ambiguities, contradictions, and other imperfections both of substance and of form, separately stated, with a view to the enactment of each title...
Page 11 - Conference were pending, the Committee on Revision of the Laws of the House of Representatives had drafted a bill revising the entire Judicial Code.
Page 57 - Bureau — and details of each subhead, to remain under departmental control; (2) make annual appropriations for "payments to be made within the fiscal year" instead of "for the fiscal year" in order to make appropriations and expenditures of each year strictly comparable; and (3) change the method of handling departmental receipts from sale of Government property or services so as to extend congressional control over all public expenditures. To strengthen control after expenditure, Mr. Wilmerding...
Page 14 - ... the duties of the Service. (b) It shall be the duty of the Legislative Staff Service, upon request, to — (1) Advise and assist the committees of both Houses of Congress in the analysis, appraisal and evaluation of recommendations submitted to the Congress by the President or any executive agency; (2) Aid legislative and conference committees of Congress in analyzing proposed legislation before them; and (3) Assist congressional committees in the furnishing of a basis for a proper determination...
Page 54 - Office. 12. That Government corporations discontinue the practice of- making loans or advances to the regular establishments or other agencies or corporations of the Government, and that funds for such agencies be made available only by means of appropriations. 13. That all borrowing and lending agencies be integrated with the Treasury Department in order to assure a uniform financial policy.
Page 58 - ... itself of appropriation accounts showing the relation between grant and expenditure, promise and performance; by arranging to have these accounts audited by a great public department responsible only to itself; by scrutinizing through a committee of its own members — the Public Accounts Committee — the audited appropriation accounts and the reports of the auditor thereon; and by insisting that the responsibility of the accountants be real, the House of Commons has achieved a control over...
Page 5 - Departments, and locate these offices next door to the rooms of the committees having jurisdiction over them and place these offices in charge of responsible officials from the departments. This would save much leg work, promote closer cooperation between the legislative and executive branches, and facilitate committee work. 4. In establishing new administrative agencies, follow the TVA plan of handling matters affecting constituents.
Page 43 - Federal design. Meanwhile, government by administration is the object of group pressures which weaken its protection of the public interest. Under these conditions, it was believed, the time is ripe for Congress to reconsider its role in the American scheme of government and to modernize its organization and procedures. The committee held 39 public hearings and 4 executive sessions between March 13 and June 29, 1945. 'The testimony of 102...