CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS

Mr. WHITTEN. Please submit for the record the number of OGPA staff performing congressional relations functions and the number of staff in each agency performing congressional relations functions.

Mr. MIZELL. We have 11 staff members in OGPA providing liaison with Congress. These staff members provide an exchange of information essential to an effective working relationship between the Department and the Congress. They are involved in responding to requests from individual Congressional offices to provide technical review, research and investigation of issues for constituent response, as well as many other activities generally considered as Congressional Relations functions.

Other agencies depending on scope of activity and public contact have varying numbers of people with these assigned functions. [The information follows:]

SCS:

Professional....

Clerical.......

:Employment:Staff-Years:Employment:Staff-Years:Employment:Staff-Years

JOB DESCRIPTION

Mr. WHITTEN. Please submit a copy of the job description for a typical congressional liaison position in OGPA.

Mr. MIZELL. I will be happy to.

[The information follows:]

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Secretary

Office of Governmental and Public Affairs
Confidential Assistant, GM-14

I. INTRODUCTION:

The Office of the Secretary is the top organization in the Executive Branch for planning, development, implementation, and coordination of all agricultural programs administered by the Federal Government. The impact of these programs are both national and international as well as economic and social in the broadest scope.

The mission of the Office of Governmental & Public Affairs, Congressional Relations is to coordinate all legislative matters in the Department, maintain liaison with Congress and the White House on legislative matters; or public affairs, to advise, counsel, and communicate the current/proposed objectives/ programs of the Administration and the Department.

The incumbent serves as a Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary, GPA with emphasis on the focal point through which congressional program and policy documentation and correspondence flows for evaluation and review prior to submission to top policy officials for signature and/or subsequent issuance.

II. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Serves as the focal point through which Congressional program and policy documentation and correspondence flows for evaluation and review prior to submission to the Secretary and/or his top policy officials for signature and/or subsequent submission. Incumbent will deal directly with USDA agency administrators, staff and operations officers and other responsible officials to reconcile differences which appears in these written materials where Departmental policy has been established or explained.

2. Appraises incoming materials and determines through which channels it will be brought to the attention of Departmental officials.

3. Reviews incoming Congressional correspondence to assure that the outgoing materials responds to the request for information, is addressed to the proper officials and conveys an appropriate tone, etc.

4. Recommends changes on any letters which may result in improvement and efficiency in the Congressional correspondence program. Counsels with agency legislative officers on any problems which may develop with respect to the Congressional correspondence.

5. It is imperative that any written Congressional policy and program materials be carefully evaluated to eliminate any possibility of the contents being misunderstood or not clearly stated because of the adverse effect it would have upon the Administration, the Secretary, the Department, and the total national agricultural program.