ENACTMENTS OF APPROPRIATION BILLS

Mr. BALDERSON. Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, there has not been a legislative branch appropriation bill enacted into law and we are operating under a continuing resolution for fiscal year 1982. I am encouraged by the prospect of your committee enacting a legislative branch appropriation bill for fiscal year 1983, and I am looking forward to assisting you and your staff in the future.

The budget estimate, therefore, is submitted for the consideration of your committee.

Senator MATTINGLY. Thank you.

COMPENSATION AND MILEAGE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS

The fiscal year 1983 budget estimate reflects a reduction of $6,932,000 for the account "Compensation and mileage of the Vice President and Members." Am I correct that these salary figures are now treated through a permanent appropriation and that we no longer must appropriate annually for these costs?

Mr. BALDERSON. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. Public Law 97-51 established a permanent and indefinite appropriation within the Treasury for the payment of compensation to Members of Congress.

Senator MATTINGLY. How much will actually be spent on these salaries in fiscal year 1983, despite the lack of an appropriation this year? Mr. BALDERSON. Salaries for the Vice President and Members, including agency contributions, will total approximately $6,746,112, for fiscal year 1983.

COMPARISON OF 1982 AND 1983 BUDGETS

Senator MATTINGLY. Don't you agree that the legislative branch figure that we are using for fiscal year 1983 for the House and the Senate is about $35 million short, because of the permanent appropriation for Member's compensation?

Mr. BALDERSON. Yes; I would agree with that.

Senator MATTINGLY. I was studying that myself over the weekend. We have to either take $35 million off one end or the other to get a true comparison of the figures there.

Mr. BALDERSON. The expenditures are still there, yes, sir.

Senator MATTINGLY. They are still there, right. Perhaps we take it off the 1982 level to make a comparison of what the increase is. I think right now it shows the total legislative branch at approximately a $100 million increase if we approve all the supplemental requests for fiscal year 1982.

MERIT COMPENSATION

Both the Secretary and the Sergeant-at-Arms are requesting that the separate merit compensation program be eliminated. If this committee concurs, then there is no obstacle in reducing the line item “Agency contributions, longevity compensation, and merit compensation" by the amount budgeted, $190,943. Is that correct?

Mr. BALDERSON. That is correct, sir. If the committee concurs with the request of the Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, I see no reason why that budget request could not be decreased by approximately $190,000.

CONTINGENT EXPENSES OF THE SENATE

Senator MATTINGLY. The line items under "Contingent expenses of the Senate" includes some very small items, such as "Automobiles and maintenance," "Postage stamps," and "Stationery," but a general, nearly $40 million item entitled "Miscellaneous items." What problems could result from an attempt to restructure these accounts more logically?

Mr. BALDERSON. A study or review of the statutes would be needed which establish these accounts. I would be happy to work with your committee on reviewing, reorganizing or reconstructing these accounts and make comments on any recommendations the committee may have. Senator MATTINGLY. We wouldn't have to commission a study to do that, would we?

Mr. BALDERSON. No, sir.

Senator MATTINGLY. You do that in-house?

Mr. BALDERSON. Yes.

Senator MATTINGLY. I didn't know anything was done in-house for a long time around here. I thought we would have to send it to the Office of Technology Assessment or the Congressional Budget Office. Not that they can't do the job.

INQUIRIES AND INVESTIGATIONS

The Rules Committee in reporting funding authorization resolutions for the March 1, 1982 through February 28, 1983 fiscal year has held the aggregate committee spending to last year's level. Will this permit us to reduce the budget request for "Inquiries and investigations"?

Mr. BALDERSON. This appropriation for "Inquiries and investigations" is difficult to appropriate for. As the chairman is aware, the Rules Committee approves funding resolutions for the period March 1 of one calendar year through February 28 of another calendar year, which spans 2 fiscal years. In light of the Rules Committee holding the current funding for committees to the same level as last year, and in consideration of the fact that five-twelfths of those authorizations would be applicable to fiscal year 1983, it is conceivable we could reduce that appropriation request by approximately $1,380,000.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS APPORTIONMENT SCHEDULE

Senator MATTINGLY. Would you provide this committee with the actual expenditure figures for fiscal year 1981 and through March 31, 1982 for those items listed in the "Miscellaneous items apportionment schedule"?

Mr. BALDERSON. I would be happy to provide that information to the committee.

Senator MATTINGLY. Thank you very much.

Mr. BALDERSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The information follows:]

Historically, the responsibility of the Disbursing Office is to monitor expenditures on an appropriation account basis. The staff is required to track the expenditures for committees of the Senate which are funded by the annual funding resolutions, and which are paid from expenses of inquiries and investigations. Additionally, the Disbursing Office tracks certain items within the apportionment schedule for miscellaneous items. These items are tracked because of the dollar limitations required by law or resolution or for budgetary purposes. The following is a schedule of the expenditures of these items for fiscal years 1981 and 1982.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS APPORTIONMENT SCHEDULE OF EXPENDITURES AS OF MARCH 31, 1982

The Disbursing Office is in the process of implementing a total financial management system for the Senate which will encompass all aspects of the Disbursing Office. One of the functions to be included in the system will be the capability to monitor or track all expenditures made from moneys available to the Senate.

At the present time, the Office of the Sergeant at Arms has its own accounting office which keeps the necessary accounting records to track its expenditures from the apportionment schedule.

The Office of the Secretary also maintains records for its expenditures from the apportionment schedule.

SERGEANT AT ARMS AND DOORKEEPER

STATEMENT OF HON. HOWARD S. LIEBENGOOD

ACCOMPANIED BY:

PHIL LARSEN, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

FRANK CURTIS, DIRECTOR, SERVICE DEPARTMENT

MICK COTTON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SERVICE DEPARTMENT

INTRODUCTION OF ASSOCIATES

Senator MATTINGLY. Now we have before us Hon. Howard S. Liebengood, Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper. If you would like, Mr. Liebengood, you may go ahead and give your report.

Mr. LIEBENGOOD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me at the table Phil Larsen, my administrative assistant and budget officer.

I previously submitted a statement to the subcommittee which I would like to read from in part.

PREPARED STATEMENT

Senator MATTINGLY. Your pepared statement will be inserted in the record. Continue with your statement.

[The statement follows:]

(51)

STATEMENT OF HOWARD S. LIEBENGOOD

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am pleased to today report on the fiscal status of the Sergeant at Arms jurisdiction and scek your authorization and approval relative to funding for fiscal year 1983.

I very much appreciate the past cooperation of this

Committee and its staff, both as Sergeant at Arms and as a member of the Senate Management Board.

Last year, in testifying before this Subcommittee, I addressed the 1982 budget in the context of our commitment to provide the United States Senate with the best possible services in the most cost effective manner. Throughout this past year, we have diligently pursued innovations commensurate with that commitment. Accomplishments in that respect are note

worthy and significant to understanding the challenges present in fiscal 1983. Such accomplishments include:

A 1982 budget reduction of 11% ($6 million) that was both requested

and realized.

A reduction in Accounting Office personnel from 14 to 9, accomplished

by streamlining internal procedures and paperwork flow.

A Senate Placement Office was established in November, 1981. This

small staff of 4 has interviewed 2,276 applicants through March of this

year and filled 37% of all "job orders" received from Senate offices.

A reorganization of the Service Department lines of authority and accountability that has enabled that hard working staff to effectively achieve newsletter production at a current annualized rate of 219.3 million newsletters per year, a productivity increase of 126% from calendar year 1980. All this accomplished by a staff of 14 fewer people than available in 1980.

An implementation by the Service Department of third class bulk

sort for newsletters, which has resulted in a savings to the Senate in franking costs of $17.4 million in fiscal years 1981 and 1982, and a projected additional savings of $20.6 million in FY 83.

.

A new Service Department in-house maintenance program that has accom

plished savings for fiscal year 1982 of approximately $70,000.