Pros and cons on the item veto. Presidents recommending item veto. Item veto and similar bills considered by the Congress_ Constitutionality of the item veto provision_. Separation in the budget of operating and capital expenditures.. Hoover Commission recommendations for a capital expenditures Capital expenditures budget bills introduced in the 86th Congress -- S. 1244 To establish policies with respect to productive capital S. 1560-To provide for the adoption of a capital budget.. S. 2194-To amend the Second Liberty Bond Act... Withholding or impounding appropriations by the executive branch.. Amendment to Antideficiency Act proposed by the chairman of the Proposals for new revolving funds-86th Congress.. A.-The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended and extended by the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950 and other enact- ments, through the 86th Congress. - B.-Staff Memorandum No. 83-2-33, November 24, 1954. Appointment of Comptroller General of the United States. (A history of the respon- sibility of the Comptroller General to the Congress under the Budget C.-Government Corporation Control Act of 1945, as amended (Title IV, added by sec. 11, Public F.-Reports, staff memorandums, and hearings of the Senate Commit- FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTRODUCTION The Senate Committee on Government Operations, under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, is charged with the responsibility for all legislation relating to "budgeting and accounting measures, other than appropriations," and for exercising continuous surveillance over the execution of budgeting and accounting laws. In addition, the committee is charged with the duty of studying the operations of Government at all levels with a view to determining its economy and efficiency. This report is a comprehensive analysis of existing and proposed legislation relating to the financial management of the Federal Government, and is submitted to the Senate under the above authority. The information set forth in this study should prove of great value to congressional committees and to Members of the Congress when considering future legislation relating to fiscal operations of the Federal Government. The report includes a history of financial improvements in the Federal Government prior to the 80th Congress; recommendations of the First and Second Hoover Commissions on budget and accounting, and the implementation of these recommendations by the Congress; major budget and accounting legislation enacted from the 80th through the 86th Congresses; financial management improvements made by the departments and agencies on a Government-wide basis under specific acts; and the history of major budgeting and accounting legislation proposed, such as the creation of a Joint Committee on the Budget, an omnibus appropriation bill, legislation proposing an item veto, and other proposals. The present system of numbering legislative acts, which indicates the Congress preceding the number of the act, was used throughout the report, although such numbering system was not initiated until the 85th Congress. Also, in many instances, the title of Committee on Government Operations was used instead of the former title of Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. During the 86th Congress, several bills dealing with the financial affairs of the Federal Government were introduced and referred to the Committee on Government Operations. Three of these bills related to proposals placed before this committee and the Congress in various forms for a number of years, e.g., giving the President authority to reduce or eliminate items in appropriation bills (S. 2373) and separating capital and operating expenditures in the national budget (S. 1244 and S. 1560). It was the consensus of the committee that before action is taken on these proposals, a thorough review of the past legislative history of these proposals should be made. The committee gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of the Comptroller General, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, the Secretary of the Treasury, and members of the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program in the development of information on the financial improvements that have been made throughout the Federal Government. This information is outlined in part V of the report. The committe also wishes to extend to the Comptroller General its appreciation for making available the services of Mr. Leon C. Hall, who directed the preparation of this report. In addition, the committee obtained from the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Post Office Department pertinent information relating to financial improvements made by those agencies under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, title IV of the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, and the Post Office Department Financial Control Act of 1950, respectively. This information is found in part VI of the report. The committee realizes that one of the most vital requirements for the future administration of the Federal Government, if it is to cope successfully with all the vast problems confronting it, is a continual improvement in the handling of its finances. It is with this thought in mind that the following report is submitted to the Senate. |