Upon signing the Executive order establishing the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, the President stated that **the Office will assure State and local officials access to the highest offices of the Federal Government, especially those having a direct impact on intergovernmental relations, so that Federal programs, policies, and goals will be more responsive to their views and needs. It will seek to strengthen existing channels of communication and to create new channels among all levels of government. HEARINGS Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, Nils Boe, testified before the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations on September 9. In his statement he pointed out that the purpose of the Office is to provide liaison between the executive branch of the Federal Government, its departments and agencies, and the official representatives of State government and their political subdivisions. The basic purpose of the Office is to strengthen and coordinate Federal, State, and local relations. Because intergovernmental relations have become increasingly complex in recent years and new patterns of Federal-State-local relationships have emerged as major national programs have been enacted in new fields of activity such as manpower training and area economic development and established fields such as mass transportation, water systems, and sewage treatment plants, the executive branch seeks to streamline the efforts at intergovernmental cooperation. In the past two avenues were open for this liaison function through the Office of the Vice President and the Office of Emergency Preparedness designed for liaison with State Governors. The liaison functions of the Office of Emergency Preparedness are now housed in the Office of the Vice President. The Office of Intergovernmental Relations has been placed under the immediate supervision of the Vice President. The Executive order creating this office assigns to the Vice President a number of important responsibilities in the field of intergovernmental relations. The Office of Intergovernmental Relations serves as the operating arm of the Vice President's office in meeting these responsibilities. The Office would not duplicate or conflict with responsibilities presently being carried out by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations or by the Bureau of the Budget. The Advisory Commission is an independent agency composed of members drawn from three levels of government; three from the Federal executive branch, three U.S. Senators, three members of the House of Representatives, four Governors, four mayors, three State legislators, three county officials, and three private citizens appointed by the President. The Commission is specifically directed to: (1) bring together representatives of the Federal, State, and local governments to consider common problems; (2) provide a forum for discussion of the administration of Federal grant programs; (3) give critical attention to the conditions and controls involved in the administration of grant programs; (4) make available technical assistance to the executive and S. Rept. 91-430 legislative branches of the Government in the review of legislation to determine its overall effect on the federal system; (5) encourage discussion and study or emerging public problems that are likely to require intergovernmental cooperation; (6) recommend, within the framework of the Constitution, the most desirable allocation of governmental functions, responsibilities, and revenues among the several levels of government; and (7) recommend methods of coordinating and simplifying tax laws and administrative practices to achieve a more orderly and less competitive fiscal relationship between the levels of government and reduce the burden of compliance by taxpayers (Public Law 86-380, sec. 2). (A copy of Executive Order 11455 follows:) OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Executive Order 11455, February 14, 1969 ESTABLISHING AN OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS By virutue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the United States, and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1. Establishment of the Office. (a) There is hereby established the Office of Intergovernmental Relation (hereinafter referred to as "the Office"). The Office shall be under the immediate supervision of the Vice President of the United States. (b) In addition to his other duties, the Vice President shall act as the President's liasion with executive and legislative officials of State and local governments; encourage and assist in facilitating maximum cooperation between and among the various Federal agencies and such other governments; help to make the Federal executive branch, especially those sectors, thereof having a direct impact on intergovernmental relations, more sensitive, receptive and responsive to the views of State and local officials; serve as the focal point of efforts by Federal departments, agencies, and interagency councils and committees to resolve specific difficulties that arise in their relations with such officials; work closely with and encourage the work of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations; and inform the Council for Urban Affairs on general intergovernmental issues of an informational, administrative, or program nature so that the Council may more effectively advise and assist the President with respect to urban affairs. SEC. 2. Functions of the Office. The Office shall advise and assist the Vice President with respect to (1) intergovernmental relations generally, and (2) the responsibilities assigned to the Vice President specifically under section 1(v). In addition, the Office shall: (a) serve as the clearinghouse for the prompt handling and solution of Federal-State-local problems brought to the attention of the President or Vice President by executive and legislative officers of State and local governments; (b) identify and report to the Vice President on recurring intergovernmental problems of a Federal interdepartmental and interprogram nature; S. Rept. 91-430 (c) explore and report to the Vice President on ways and means of strengthening the headquarters and interagency relationships of Federal field offices as they relate to intergovernmental activities; (d) maintain continuing liaison with intergovernmental units in Federal departments and agencies and with the staff of the Council for Urban Affairs, and provide the staff of the Council with information and assistance regarding issues arising in Federal-State-local relations; and (e) review procedures utilized by Federal executive agencies for affording State and local officials an opportunity to confer and comment on Federal assistance programs and other intergovernmental issues, and propose methods of strengthening such procedures. SEC. 3. Administrative Arrangements. (a) A person designated by the Vice President shall serve as Director of the Office. The Director shall perform such duties as the Vice President may from time to time direct. (b) A person designated by the Vice President shall serve as Deputy Director of the Office and assist the Director in performing those duties assigned to him. (c) All Federal departments, agencies, interagency councils and committees having an impact on intergovernmental relations, and all Federal Executive Boards, shall extend full cooperation and assistance to the Vice President and the Director of the Office in carrying out their responsibilities under this order. The Director shall, upon request, assist all Federal departments and agencies with problems that may arise between them and the executive agencies or elected officials of State and local governments. (d) The head of each Federal department and agency shall designate an appropriate official with broad general experience in his department or agency to serve, upon request of the Vice President, as a point of contact in carrying out Federal-State-local liaison activities under this order. SEC. 4. Construction. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed as subjecting any department, establishment, or other instrumentality of the executive branch of the Federal Government or the head thereof. or any function vested by law in or assigned pursuant to law to any such agency or head, to the authority of any other such agency or head or as abrogating, modifying, or restricting any such function in any manner. (b) This order supersedes Executive Order No. 11426 of August 31. RICHARD NIXON. 1968. THE WHITE HOUSE, S. Rept. 91 430 91ST CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 91-431 ESTABLISH A COMMISSION ON POPULATION GROWTH AND THE AMERICAN FUTURE SEPTEMBER 24, 1969.-Ordered to be printed Mr. MUNDT, from the Committee on Government Operations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 2701] The Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred the bill (S. 2701) to establish a Commission on Population Growth and the American Future, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. PURPOSE S. 2701 would establish a commission to be called the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future, which would conduct and sponsor studies and research and make such recommendations as may be necessary to provide information and education to all levels of government in the United States, and to the public, regarding a broad range of problems associated with population growth and their implication for America's future. BACKGROUND INFORMATION On July 18, 1969, President Richard Nixon sent a message to Congress outlining the need for a commission to study the problems surrounding the growth of population in the United States as it relates to America's future. In his message the President said there would be 300 million Americans by the year 2000. Then he posed these questions: Where will the next 100 million people live; how will we house them; what of our natural resources and quality of our environment; how will we educate and employ these people; will our transportation systems move them quickly and economically; how will we provide adequate health care for them; will we have to reorder our political structure; will our institutions be swamped by growing floods of people; how easily can they be replaced or altered; and how can we better assist American families so they will have no more children than they wish to have? The President added: Perhaps the most dangerous element in the present situation is the fact that so few people are examining these questions from the viewpoint of the whole society. I believe, however, that the Federal Government makes only a minimal effort in this area. The efforts of State and local governments are also inadequate. The President then outlined what he thought the makeup of the Commission should be. The membership of the Commission should include two Members from each House of the Congress, together with knowledgeable men and women who are broadly representative of our society. The majority should be citizens who have demonstrated a capacity to deal with important questions of public policy. The membership should also include specialists in the biological, social, and environmental sciences; in theology and law; in the arts; and in engineering. The Commission should be empowered to create advisory panels to consider subdivisions of its broad subject area and to invite experts and leaders from all parts of the world to join these panels in their deliberations. In the 89th and 90th Congresses the Subcommittee on Foreign Aid Expenditures, under the chairmanship of Senator Ernest Gruening, held hearings on the population problem. Those hearings were directed at American and worldwide problems of the population crisis while S. 2701 focuses on America's problem in this area. The hearings were printed in 18 volumes. In the 90th Congress the full committee held hearings on legislation introduced by Senator Karl Mundt to establish a Commission on Balanced Economic Development. This legislation, which was subsequently approved twice by the committee and passed by the Senate, is similar in nature to the proposed Commission on Population Growth and the American Future. It would study and investigate the following: (1) an analysis and evaluation of the economic, social, and political factors which affect the geographic location of industry; (2) an analysis and evaluation of the economic, social, and political factors which are necessary in order for industries to operate efficiently outside the large urban centers or to operate and expand within the large urban centers without the creation of new economic and social problems; (3) a consideration of the ways and means whereby the Federal Government might effectively encourage a more balanced industrial and economic growth throughout the Nation; (4) an analysis and evaluation of the limits imposed upon population density in order for municipalities, or other political S. Rept. 91-431 |