Committee Prints

The Rules of the House of Representatives provide for election by the House, at the commencement of each Congress, of 20 named standing committees, one of which is the Committee on Government Operations. Pursuant to House Resolution 128, 90th Congress, adopted January 16, 1967, the membership of the committee was increased from 34 to 35.

Rule XI, 8 sets forth the committee's jurisdiction as follows (H. Doc. 402, 90th Cong., 2d sess., pp. 338, 339) :

POWER AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEES

All proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the subject listed under the standing committees named below shall be referred to such committees, respectively: 2

8. COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

(a) Budget and accounting measures, other than appro-
priations.
(b) Reorganizations in the executive branch of the Gov-

ernment.

(1) receiving and examining reports of the Comptroller General of the United States and of submitting such recommendations to the House as it deems necessary or desirable in connection with the subject matter of such reports;

(2) studying the operation of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining its economy and efficiency;

1 Rule X. 1(h).

2 Pars. (a), (b), and (c) of Rule XI. 8. were initially adopted as Rule XI. 1(h) in sec 121(b) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812, 825, ch. 753).

(3) evaluating the effects of laws enacted to reorganize the legislative and executive branches of the Government;

(4) studying intergovernmental relationships between the United States and the States and municipalities, and between the United States and international organizations of which the United States is a member. (d) For the purpose of performing such duties the committee, or any subcommittee thereof when authorized by the committee, is authorized to sit, hold hearings, and act at such times and places within the United States, whether or not the House is in session, is in recess, or has adjourned, to require by subpena or otherwise the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such papers, documents, and books, and to take such testimony as it deems necessary. Subpenas may be issued under the signature of the chairman of the committee or of any subcommittee, or by any member designated by any such chairman, and may be served by any person designated by any such chairman or member.5

The committee also exercises authority under a number of statutes, the principal statutes being the following:

2 U.S.C., sec. 190d

Surveillance by committees of execution of laws by agencies

To assist the Congress in appraising the administration of the laws and in developing such amendments or related legislation as it may deem necessary, each standing committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall exercise continuous watchfulness of the execution by the administrative agencies concerned of any laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of such committee; and, for that purpose, shall study all pertinent reports and data submitted to the Congress by the Agencies in the executive branch of the Government. (Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 753, title I, § 136, 60 Stat. 832.)

3 During the 91st Congress the committee's authority, powers, and duties under the rules may be exercised either within or outside the United States. The committee's authority to exercise its powers and duties outside the United States has stemmed (1) from annual resolutions making funds available to the committee for expenses of investigations and studies, "within and without the continental limits of the United States" and (2) from certain special resolutions. For examples of (1), see H. Res. 109, 90th Cong.. 1st sess., agreed to Mar. 8, 1967; H. Res. 1027, 90th Cong., agreed to Mar. 13, 1968: H. Res. 1160, 90th Cong., agreed to May 9, 1968; and H. Res. 214, 91st Cong.. agreed to Mar. 26, 1969; for examples of (2), see H. Res. 110, 89th Cong.. agreed to June 14, 1965; H. Res. 110, 90th Cong.. 1st sess., agreed to Feb. 21, 1967; and H. Res. 213, 91st Cong.. agreed to Mar. 13, 1969. See also Pt. II, Historical Background, infra.

See House Rule XI, 31. Three committees have standing authority under the rules so to sit and act without special leave of the House. (See also Rule XI, 2(b)).

Par. (d) of Rule XI. 8, was adopted on Feb. 10, 1947, by H. Res. 90, 80th Cong. (93 Cong. Rec. 942-945). Three committees of the House have standing authority to exercise this power under the rules. (See also Rule XI, 2(b)).

Under H. Res. 214, 91st Cong., adopted Mar. 26, 1969, the funds which that resolution has made available to the committee for expenses of investigations and studies may not be expended for study or investigation of "any subject which is being investigated for the same purpose by any other committee of the House." The resolution further provides that the committee chairman "shall furnish the Committee on House Administration information with respect to any study or investigation intended to be financed from such funds."

7 This provision was made a part of the standing rules on Jan. 3, 1953, and appears as Rule XI, 27.

5 U.S.C., sec. 2954 8

Information to committees of Congress on request

An Executive agency, on request of the Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives, or of any seven members thereof, or on request of the Committee on Government Operations of the Senate, or any five members thereof, shall submit any information requested of it relating to any matter within the jurisdiction of the committee. (Sept. 6, 1967, Public Law 89-554, 80 Stat. 378, 413.)

(b) He [the Comptroller General] shall make such investigations and reports as shall be ordered by either House of Congress or by any committee of either House having jurisdiction over revenue, appropriations, or expenditures. The Comptroller General shall also, at the request of any such committee, direct assistants from his office to furnish the committee such aid and information as it may request. (June 10, 1921, ch. 18, title III, sec. 312, 42 Stat. 25.)

31 U.S.C., sec. 60

Analyses of executive agencies' expenditures by Comptroller
General; reports to congressional committees

The Comptroller General is authorized and directed to make an expenditure analysis of each agency in the executive branch of the Government (including Government corporations), which, in the opinion of the Comptroller General, will enable Congress to determine whether public funds have been economically and efficiently administered and expended. Reports on such analyses shall be submitted by the Comptroller General, from time to time, to the Committees on Government Operations, to the Appropriations Committees, and to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over legislation relating to the operations of the respective agencies, of the two Houses. (Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 753, title II, § 206, 60 Stat. 837.)

The committee also exercises authority under other statutes."

$ Prior to enactment of title 5, United States Code, by Public Law 89-554, 89th Cong., the citation "5 U.S.C. sec. 105a" was generally used for this provision.

See sec. 203 (e) (6) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended (40 U.S.C. 484 (e) (6)), relating to disposal of Federal surplus property. This provision requires that explanatory statements be sent "to the appropriate committees of the Congress" in advance of negotiated disposal under that act of all real and personal property (with limited exceptions) whose fair market value exceeds $1,000. The present statutory language stems from a 1958 amendment (Act of July 2, 1958; 72 Stat. 288). In the legislative report on that amendment, the Committee on Government Operations was specifically mentioned as the appropriate committee of the House (H. Rept. No. 1763, 85th Cong., pp. 3-5). See 41 CFR 101-47.304-12(d). Previously, under the original language of this provision (sec. 1(i) of the Act of July 12, 1952; 66 Stat. 593), it had likewise been the Government Operations Committee's function to receive such explanatory statements. (Cf. H. Rept. No. 982, 83d Cong., p. 2.) For another statute. see 2 U.S.C. secs. 191-194, relating to oaths and testimony before a congressional committee.

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