JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING BUDGET REQUEST Senator MATTINGLY. The subcommittee has received a copy of a revised budget request for the Joint Committee on Printing for 1983. The copy will be inserted in the record at this point. [The copy follows:] In the spirit of economy and in recognition of the need for fiscal restraint at all levels of government, Vice Chairman Hawkins and I are submitting a revised budget request for the Joint Committee on Printing equal to the amount appropriated for the current fiscal year. In our December 1981 submission, the Joint Committee requested an appropriation totaling $951,000. Since that time we have carefully reexamined each category of expense and have agreed to hold the line with a request which is equal in total dollars to the fiscal year 1982 appropriation. During fiscal year 1981, and thus far in 1982, several staff positions were not filled for varying periods of time due to retirements and resignations. Although a careful reorganization of the available staff led to substantial savings and cost avoidances, we reached the limits of productivity with the 17 staff positions currently authorized. Although the addition of three new positions for fiscal year 1983 would certainly have allowed us to achieve even greater efficiencies in the printing and distribution of Government publications, the Joint Committee recognizes the necessity for frugality and withdraws the request for those additional positions as it appeared in the December submission. With the deletion of those positions and corresponding amounts from other appropriate categories, the Joint Committee on Printing is seeking an appropriation' totaling $816,000 which is equal to the 1982 amount. The Joint Committee has effectively discharged its duties in connection with its primary objectives of ensuring quality printing, binding and distribution of Government publications in an improved and cost-effective manner. In addition, once again we have been responsible for achieving cost savings for the Federal Government that greatly exceed the appropriation request submitted today. At the same time, actions taken by the Committee have resulted in improved services to the Federal Government and to the general public. With regard to printing for the Congress, the Joint Committee, in conjunction with the Government Printing Office, is closely monitoring work requisitioned by Congressional Committees and offices in an effort to prevent the unnecessary reprinting of previously published material. We have urged Members and staff to review all material at the time it is submitted for printing to avoid unnecessary duplication in the Congressional Record. I might note here that in October 1981, the Joint Committee increased the subscription price of the Congressional Record to $208 per year. This was consonant with the Appropriations Committee's policy that Federal publications should, wherever possible, be priced on a self-sustaining basis. In addition, every attempt will be made to expedite and reduce the costs of Congressional printing by the application of new technologies at GPO, guided by the technical expertise of the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee on Printing considers its mandate under Title 44 "to use any measures it deems necessary to remedy neglect, delay, or waste in the public printing, binding, and distribution of Government publications" as a vital commitment to the American public. In closing, I would like to emphasize that, given new technological and managerial tools available to us, we can achieve vast savings in the Federal Printing Program in fiscal year 1983 and beyond operating within the necessary budget constraints. I have attached a copy of the revised budget request as submitted to House Appropriations during our March hearing. Please let me know if additional information is needed by your Committee. With best wishes. Sincerely, Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. December 18, 1981 Chairman Subcommittee on Legislative Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am forwarding herewith a copy of my letter and enclosure to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives, regarding the appropriation request for FY-1983 for the Joint Committee on Printing. I know you will need these for your information. Sincerely, Charles (Mathias, Jr. Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. 95-563 O 82 - 23 December 18, 1981 Chairman Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515 Dear Mr. Chairman: The Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) encloses its budget estimate for $951,000 covering our operations and oversight activities for fiscal year 1983. and respectfully requests that an appropriation in that amount be authorized. JURISDICTION, AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Joint Committee's jurisdiction, authority and responsibilities emanate from Title 44, United States Code. Section 103 thereof empowers the JCP to "use any measures it considers necessary to remedy neglect, delay, duplication, or waste in the public printing and binding and the distribution of government publications." Other sections of the law identify specific actions or assignments which are subject to regulation by the JCP or must be approved by the JCP. The responsibilities of the JCP include: (1) Establishment of policy and the formulation of regulations for the (3) Oversight of the Government Printing Office's policies and operations. Additionally, under title 44 U.S.C. 305 (the Kiess Act) the JCP serves as the board of appeal whose decisions shall be final concerning GPO wage related matters. (4) Authorizations to federal departments and agencies, as warranted, (5) Oversight of the Federal Printing Procurement Program which the JCP (7) Establishment of standards and specifications for paper procured (8) Compilation, publication, and/or distribution of certain Congressional publications and supplements including the Congressional Directory, the Congressional Pictorial Directory, and the Congressional Record. (9) Promotion of cooperation between the Senate and House of Representatives publishing activities in such areas as automated production of Congressional publications and automated indexing. (10) Formulation of recommendations to Congress for the updating and revising of title 44 of the United States Code. JCP'S PRIMARY OBJECTIVES The Joint Committee's primary objectives are: 1) to assure improved and cost-effective printing, binding and distribution services for the Congress and the entire Federal Government, 2) to eliminate duplication and waste in the Government's printing and dissemination programs, and 3) to improve the public's access to government publications and documents. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD PRICING The Joint Committee on Printing ordered price increases, effective October 1, 1981, which raised the subscription price of the Congressional Record to $208.00 per year, or $104.00 for six months. Individual issues may be purchased for $1.00 per copy. These increases were necessary to meet the increased production and distribution costs for the RECORD to be priced on a self-sustaining basis. A "NOTICE" to that effect was placed on the cover page of the Congressional Record, Vol. 127, No. 138, dated September 30, 1981. This action was in keeping with the intention expressed by our then Acting Chairman during the hearing conducted by your Committee on February 18, 1981, and is in consonance with the mutual policy of the Joint Committee and the Appropriations Committees that Federal publications should wherever possible be priced on a self-sustaining basis. The Joint Committee will continue to monitor the Congressional Record program costs to insure this policy is maintained. FEDERAL REGISTER PRICING Under Chapter 15, Section 1506 of Title 44 of the U.S. Code, the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register has the authority and responsibility to publish the Federal Register and to prescribe, with the approval of the President, the prices to be charged for individual copies of, and subscriptions to, the Federal Register. As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I wrote on October 9, 1981, to the Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register requesting his Committee's cooperation in reducing the government's subsidy of the Register by reviewing its subscription price. The Committee's chairman has since indicated to me that a price adjustment will be considered based on available cost data and the Committee's responsibility to provide the public with ready access to the regulations and administrative actions of the Federal Government. STUDY OF ALL HOUSE PUBLICATIONS As directed by the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, in House Report No. 97-170 dated July 9, 1981, the Joint Committee, in consultation with the Contracts and Printing Subcommittee of the Committee on House Administration, is conducting a study of all House publications (reports, documents, hearings, committee prints, bills and resolutions) produced as prescribed by law or resolution. The effort is intended to determine the types and quantities of publications printed by the House and to ascertain the extent to which these publications are utilized and can be more cost-effectively produced. Numerous recommendations are already under consideration to reduce these costs, even before the study is completed. The JCP will report to the Legislative Branch subcommittee and to the Committee on House Administration on the results of the study as soon as it has been completed. JCP ACTIONS TO PREVENT OR REDUCE UNNECESSARY At the Joint Committee's direction, the Government Printing Office (GPO) is closely monitoring printing requisitioned by Congressional committees and offices in an effort to prevent the unnecessary reprinting of previously published material and related costs attendant thereto. When such duplicative printing is ordered, the JCP chairman makes the committee chairman aware of the printing costs involved and requests justification for reprinting the material. The JCP takes every opportunity to urge Members to review all material at the time it is submitted for printing to avoid, wherever possible, unnecessary insertions in the Congressional Record which involve the duplication of material which has already been printed. Additionally, the JCP continues to request all committee chairmen to review their committee's printing to ensure that printing requisitions are initiated only by an individual designated to act on behalf of the full committee. JCP ACTIONS LEADING TO SAVINGS AND COST AVOIDANCES IN Actions taken by the JCP during 1981 in evaluating Legislative Branch agencies' requests for JCP authorizations for printing equipment are expected to contribute to significant savings or cost avoidances of approximately $411,000 for fiscal year 1981, and future benefits there from are estimated to be about $305,000 in fiscal year 1982 and annually thereafter. JCP ACTIONS LEADING TO SAVINGS AND COST AVOIDANCES IN THE PRINTING OPERATIONS OF EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES The JCP's intensive evaluations during 1981 of Executive Branch agencies' requests for printing equipment are expected to result in substantial savings or cost avoidances of approximately $2,039,000 for fiscal year 1981. We expect future benefits therefrom to amount to about $4,099,000 for fiscal year 1982 and annually thereafter. The JCP is committed to continue its established program of inspections and evaluations, which is successfully controlling the unnecessary acquisition by federal departments and agencies of equipment systems and equipment units used for federal printing, binding and distribution operations. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE JCP's BUDGET REQUEST FOR FY-1983 BY THE CONGRESS FOR FY-1982 During Fiscal year 1981 and thus far in fiscal year 1982, five staff positions were not filled for varying periods of time due to retirements and resignations. While careful reorganization and utilization of available staff resulted in actions leading to substantial savings and cost avoidances, we reached the limits of productivity achievable with the 17 staff positions authorized for fiscal year 1981 and currently authorized for fiscal year 1982. As reorganized, our current staff includes several new employees who were hired following exhaustive evaluation of the most highly qualified of those individuals who responded to our vacancy announcements. The reorganization also included the abolishment of the position of Inspector of Paper & Materials and the division of those duties between a senior professional staff member and the deputy staff director who also serves as Chairman of the JCP's Government Paper Specifications Committee. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that the addition of three positions, increasing our staff to a total of 20 positions for fiscal year 1983 will enable the JCP to fully implement the plans we made known to you last year. Such additional staff would allow us to achieve even greater effectiveness and produce substantial additional savings and cost avoidances in the printing, binding and distribution of government publications. As the Joint Committee has done for the past two years, I will elaborate in greater detail in our next statement supporting our FY '83 appropriation |