THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH INFORMATION DISSEMINATION THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1997 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT, COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m., in room 311, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Stephen Horn (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Horn, Maloney, Davis of Illinois, and Owens. Staff present: J. Russell George, staff director and counsel; Mark Uncapher, counsel; John Hynes, professional staff member; Andrea Miller, clerk; and David McMillen and Mark Stephenson, minority professional staff members. Mr. HORN. The Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology will come to order. We are here today to examine the operations of the Government Printing Office, and especially its efforts to disseminate Government information to the public. This is no small matter. Citizen access to Government information is critical to a free society. No one has put it better than James Madison did over two centuries ago: "A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be the Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives." The Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology is a principal congressional guardian of access to executive branch information. The subcommittee's charter states that it "will ascertain the trend in the availability of government information and will scrutinize the information practices of the executive agencies and officials." Today, we hope to hear from our expert witnesses on exactly this matter: How well is Federal information being disseminated? What improvements can be made? What is the proper role for the Government Printing Office and the Superintendent of Documents? Information dissemination programs at the Government Printing Office include the distribution of publications to Federal depository libraries nationwide, cataloging and indexing, and distribution to (1) recipients designated by law. They also include distribution to foreign libraries designated by the Library of Congress, in return for which the Library receives governmental publications from those countries. The Government Printing Office distributes about 100 million copies of government publications per year. Approximately 75 percent of all its printing needs are contracted out to private printers. Of the work handled in-house, about half is for Congress. The Government Printing Office currently employs 3,674 employees, fewer than at any time in this century. There is concern that the administration has been reducing public access to information. Specifically, many executive branch agencies are not furnishing copies of the information they produce to the Government Printing Office for dissemination through the Federal depository libraries. Furthermore, there is concern that the administration is allowing many agencies to enter into restrictive distribution agreements that further limit the availability of agency information to the public. We have two panels today. The first will feature two witnesses from the Government Printing Office. Michael DiMario is the Public Printer. He has worked at the Government Printing Office since 1971, and he has, at one time or another, headed each of its major program areas. Mr. DiMario will be accompanied by Wayne Kelley, who is Superintendent of Documents. Mr. Kelley was a journalist and a publisher until he was named to his current post in 1991. The second panel will feature three witnesses. Daniel S. Jones is president of NewsBank, Inc. He is appearing on behalf of the Information Industry Association. Robert L. Oakley is governmental affairs representative of the American Association of Law Libraries. He is appearing on behalf of a coalition of library associations. Wendy Lechner is legislative director of Printing Industries of America. We welcome each of you, and we look forward to your testimony. [The prepared statement of Hon. Stephen Horn follows:] "THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH INFORMATION DISSEMINATION". May 8, 1997 OPENING STATEMENT REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN HORN (R-CA) We are here today to examine the operations of the Government Printing Office and especially its efforts to disseminate Government information to the public. This is no small matter. Citizen access to government information is critical to a free society. No one has put it better than James Madison did over 200 years ago: A popular Government without popular information or the means of The Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology is a principle Congressional guardian of access to executive branch information. The subcommittee's charter states that it "will ascertain the trend in the availability of Government information and will scrutinize the information practices of executive agencies and officials." Today we hope to hear from our expert witnesses on exactly this matter: how well is Federal information being disseminated? What improvements can be made? What is the proper role for the Government Printing Office? Information dissemination programs at the Government Printing Office include the distribution of publications to Federal depository libraries nationwide, cataloging and indexing, and distribution to recipients designated by law. They also include distribution to foreign libraries designated by the Library of Congress, in return for which the Library receives governmental publications from those countries. The Government Printing Office distributes about 100 million copies of Government publications per year. Approximately 75 percent of all its printing needs are contracted out to private printers. Of the work handled in-house, about half is for Congress. The Government Printing Office currently employs 3,674 employees, fewer than at any time in this century. There is concern that the Administration has been reducing public access to information. Specifically, many executive branch agencies are not furnishing copies of the information they produce to the Government Printing Office for dissemination through the Federal depository libraries. Furthermore, there is concern that the Administration is allowing many agencies to enter into restrictive distribution agreements that further limit the availability of agency information to the public. We have two panels today. The first will feature two witnesses from the Government Printing Office. Michael DiMario is the Public Printer. He has worked at the Government Printing Office since 1971 and he has, at one time or another, headed each of its major program areas. Mr. DiMario will be accompanied by Wayne Kelley, who is Superintendent of Documents. Mr. Kelley was a journalist and publisher until he was named to his current post in 1991. The second panel will feature three witnesses. Daniel S. Jones is President of NewsBank, Incorporated. He is appearing on behalf of the Information Industry Association. Robert L. Oakley is Washington Affairs Representative of the American Association of Law Libraries. He is appearing on behalf of a coalition of library associations. Wendy Lechner is Legislative Director of Printing Industries of America. Mr. HORN. The tradition on the committee and all subcommittees of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee is to swear in all witnesses except Members of Congress. If you would stand and raise your right hands, we will swear in the witnesses. [Witnesses sworn.] Mr. HORN. The clerk will note all three members have affirmed. We will begin with the Public Printer of the United States. A quorum is present, with Mr. Davis of Illinois. We welcome you. Did you have an opening statement, Mr. Davis? Mr. DAVIS OF ILLINOIS. No, sir. Mr. HORN. Then we will proceed with the first panel and the Public Printer of the United States, Michael DiMario. He is accompanied by Wayne Kelly, Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office; also, Bruce Holstein, the Comptroller of the Government Printing Office. Gentlemen, proceed as you would like. STATEMENT OF MICHAEL DIMARIO, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOV. ERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, ACCOMPANIED BY WAYNE KELLEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; AND BRUCE HOLSTEIN, COMPTROLLER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE Mr. DIMARIO. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here this morning to discuss GPO's role in Federal information dissemination. As you indicated, Wayne Kelley, the Superintendent of Documents, who is seated to my left, is accompanying me, and also Bruce Holstein, GPO's Comptroller, who is seated to my right. In the interest of time, I will briefly summarize my prepared statement, which has been submitted for the record. Mr. Chairman, an abiding commitment to public access to Government information is deeply rooted in our system of Government. GPO is one of the most visible demonstrations of that commitment. For more than a century, our mission, by law, has been to fulfill the needs of the Federal Government for information products and to distribute those products to the public. Formerly, our mission was accomplished using traditional printing technologies. However, a generation ago, we began migrating our processes to electronic technologies, and in 1993, Congress amended Title 44 with the GPO Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act, which requires us to disseminate Government information products on-line. This act is the basis of GPO Access, our Internet information service. Latest data shows that this service was used to download more than 4.5 million Government documents electronically last month. Today, GPO is dedicated to producing, procuring, and disseminating Government information products in a wide range of formats, both print and electronic. We provide printed and electronic information products and services to Congress and Federal agencies through in-plant processes and the purchase of information products from the private sector. In fact, as you have noted, we buy approximately 75 percent of all information products requisitioned from us, in one of the Federal Government's most successful procurement programs. |