Letters, statements, etc.-Continued Fortwengler, George, Supervisory Systems Accountant, General Committees without a chairman__. Copy of questionnaire re a survey of advisory and interagency Text of Bureau of the Budget Circular No. A-63, re management Ink, Dwight, Assistant Director for Executive Management, Bureau Letter to Hon. John S. Monagan, a Representative in Congress Termination of departmental interagency and advisory com- Jacobson, Raymond, Director, Bureau of Policies and Standards, Confidential statement of employment and financial interests, with Letter to Hon. John S. Monagan, a Representative in Congress, Lujan, Hon. Manuel, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the Letter from Hon. Robert H. Finch, Secretary, Department of Mondello, Anthony, General Counsel, Civil Service Commission: Page 36 2 14, 16 6 10 84 75 105 98 221 140 120 149 142 114 204 PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1970 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SPECIAL STUDIES SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10 a.m. in room 2203, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. John S. Monagan, presiding. Present: Representatives John S. Monagan, Benjamin S. Rosenthal, John W. Wydler, and John T. Myers. Staff members present: Louis L. Freed, staff administrator, Herschel F. Clesner, counsel, and Thomas H. Saunders, minority staff. Mr. MONAGAN. We will call the hearing to order. The Special Studies Subcommittee today will begin a series of hearings in connection with advisory committees as an instrument in our governmental structure. These opening days of hearings will concentrate on Presidential advisory committees. The hearings stem from a preliminary study by the subcommittee staff which concluded that it is virtually impossible to compile a complete list of Presidential committees because the methods of creating Presidential committees range from the formality of an Act of Congress or an Executive order to the informality of an oral conversation and there is no index or directory of such committees. The Committee on Government Operations is charged with overseeing the efficiency and economy of operation of the departments and agencies of the executive branch of the Government. That is the jurisdictional basis on which these hearings are founded. I might say also that in the course of discussions on a recent bill in the House relating to the Spanish Speaking Commission, several committees became involved with it and were surprised to find the informality of the origin and then, as further studies were made, we came to the conclusion that this was not an unusual thing. So all concerned agreed that it would be a good thing to make a study and find out just what the situation was. The role of the council, committee, or commission as a governmental advisory function in the operation of the executive branch of the U.S. Government has never been fully reviewed. The theory underlying the use of advisory committees appears to be fundamentally sound. However, a review is warranted to assure that the advisory committees are efficiently utilized and their activities are directed to legitimate objectives. The purpose of these hearings will be to ascertain the number and history, the adequacy of the guidelines for management and operation, the use and purpose, and the supervision and funding of Presidential advisory committees. The study is not directed at any particular ad (1) ministration or individual but with the use of the advisory system as an effective or ineffective tool of government management and operation. We will also examine the lack of control of supervision, including operational abuse and misuse, and whether a need exists for legislative safeguards and standards. We have invited witnesses from the General Accounting Office, the Executive Office of the President, the Bureau of the Budget, the Civil Service Commission, academicians, and others to attend these hearings. Our first witness will be Mr. George Fortwengler, a supervisory systems accountant for the General Accounting Office. Mr. Fortwengler, we will be happy to hear your testimony. STATEMENT OF GEORGE FORTWENGLER, SUPERVISORY SYSTEMS ACCOUNTANT, GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE Mr. FORTWENGLER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. During the period of September 4 through November 19, 1969, I was temporarily assigned to the Special Studies Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations to assist in a survey of advisory and interagency committees in the Federal Government. On September 29, 1969, through November 15, 1969, two other GAO staff members, Messrs. Eugene Schmitt and Edward Reilly, were also temporarily assigned to the Special Studies Subcommittee to assist with the survey. Messrs. Louis Freed, the subcommittee staff administrator, and Herschel Clesner, counsel, of the subcommittee staff, provided supervision on this assignment. On this assignment we reviewed and scheduled pertinent data from 1,519 advisory and interagency committee reports which were received by the subcommittee in response to questionnaires sent to the Federal Government departments and agencies on July 10, 1969. I have a copy of the questionnaire which can be submitted for the record. (The questionnaire follows:) Please furnish this committee by August 8, 1969, the following information with regard to all existing committees created by and/or advising your department or agency and any of its constituent parts: (e) Determination as a matter of formal record by the head of the department or agency to be in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the department or agency by law. (f) Other. Attach a copy of all documents creating the committee and/or authorizing or amending its functions or activities. 3. Members, chairman, secretary, and other officers of the committee: (b) Cleared for security, conflict of interest, etc., by whom and how. (d) Term of office. (e) Limitations on reappointment. 4. The committee advises, consults, and reports directly: (a) To whom. (b) Through whom. 5. Within the past 3 years the committee's: (a) Major activities (including specific policy issue involvement). (b) Accomplishments. (c) Recommendations. (d) Reports, oral or written, and to whom. 6. The commitee's future objectives (for example, specific policy issues). 7. The committee's reports (especially those containing objectives and recommendations): (a) Kept by or with whom and where. (b) Available to the public. (c) If not, cite authority. 8. Membership of the committee and staff: (a) Names of members. (b) Names of staff. (c) Names of contract and other involved personnel. (d) Background, skills, business connections and qualifications including non-Federal affiliations (include names of all companies, firms, State, or local governmental organizations, and educational or other institutions which he is serving as employee, officer, member, director, adviser or consultant). 9. Members of the committee receive compensation and/or reimbursement for expenses: (a) In what manner. (b) From what agency (cite authority). 10. Committee members: (a) As special Government employees (number). (b) As full-time Government employees (number). (c) As non-Government employees (number). 11. Committee staff: (a) Total number. (b) Part or full time (number of each) and affiliation of each. (c) Salary, if any, received from your agency. (d) Salary, if any, received from another agency. (e) Contract personnel. 12. Committee funds appropriated by the Congress : (a) Directly. (b) Indirectly. (c) Department or agency source (cite authority). (d) Budget level for present and the 3 prior fiscal years. 13. Estimated annual cost of the committee to the Federal Government: (a) Total. (c) Outside continental United States (when and where). (d) At the call of. (e) List last two meetings (places and dates). 16. Committee minutes: (a) Kept by whom and where. (b) Available and in what form to the public. (c) If not, cite authority. 17. Committee agendas: (a) Made under whose authority. (b) Prepared by whom. 18. Committee operations and existence reported to what department, agency, or interdepartmental control units: (a) For management oversight. (b) For substantive review and/or supervision. (c) For review of potential or existing legal issues such as antitrust, conflict of interest, and so forth. 19. Total number of committees within and/or serviced by the department or agency: (a) Entirely. (b) Partially (including housekeeping functions). 20. Total number of committees outside of the department or agency but funded by the department or agency in the past 3 years: (a) Entirely funded. (d) Grant funded. 21. Total estimated annual expenditures by the department or agency to fund, service, supply and maintain such committees. Include the support of proiects either endorsed, recommended or sponsored by the committees but carried out under contract, grant, or other arrangement. The term "committee” means any committee, board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or other similar group or any subcommittee or other subgroup thereof, that is formed by a department or agency of the Government in the interest of obtaining advice or recommendations, or for any other purpose, and that is not composed wholly of full-time officers or employees of the Government. It includes such committees that are not formed by a department or agency, but only during any period when it is being utilized by a department or agency in the same manner as a Government-formed committee. It does not include committees composed wholly of representatives of State or local agencies or charitable, religious, educational, civic, social welfare, or other similar nonprofit organizations. It does not apply to any local, regional, or national committee whose sole function is the dissemination of information for public agencies, or to any local civic committe whose primary function is that of rendering a public service other than giving advice or making recommendations to the Government. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. JOHN S. MONAGAN, Chairman. Mr. FORTWENGLER. The questionnaire was composed of 21 main questions with a number of subquestions. The questionnaire solicited basic information on such items as name of committee, date of origin, functions duties, authority, members, staff, estimated annual cost, et cetera. It was also designed to provide information which would enable the subcommittee to develop data on the administration and guidance provided to the committees, the availability of committee minutes and reports, and the overlapping of committee's functions. We developed summary type data on all committee reports and grouped selected Presidential committee reports by functional category to show the committees operating in the same general area of responsibility. The term "committee" means any committee, board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or other similar group, or any subcommittee or subgroup thereof, that is formed by the President or a department or agency of the government in the interest of obtaining advice, recommendations, or for any other purposes. A Presidential committee was so designated, for our purpose, when one or more of its members are appointed or designated by the Presi |