Bureau of Prisons has agreed to comply with the revision, and has agreed with the Federal Housing Administration for FHA to appraise the rental value of Bureau of Prisons living quarters in accordance with the revised circular. (b) Estimated monetary and other benefits.-While no accurate estimate of additional income can be made until after FHA completes its appraisal, the estimate made by GAO of indicated additional income to the Bureau of Prisons ranges from between $338,000 and $749,000 per annum. 4. Savings in Interest Costs to Government Attainable by Greater Use of Treasury Checking Account-Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. (a) Summary of action.-The GAO report stated that, whereas most of the operating funds of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco were in commercial banks, if they had been deposited with the Treasurer of the United States the borrowings of the Treasury could have been reduced to the extent of such deposits, with resultant reductions in interest costs. A similar GAO report covered the deposits of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati. The subcommittee was assured by the Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of its accord with the objective of reducing governmental costs. (b) Estimated monetary and other benefits.-Information supplied to the subcommittee by the GAO indicates that, in general, Federal home loan banks in recent years have maintained their funds to practicable extent in Treasury accounts, with large savings in interest to the Government. For instance, the total deposits of all Federal home loan banks as of June 30, 1963, was $158 million, of which $130 million was in commercial banks and $28 million in Treasury accounts. As of December 31, 1965, of total deposits of $128 million, $73 million were in commercial accounts and $55 million in the Treasury. The proportion in Treasury accounts had increased from 18 percent in 1963 to 43 percent, indicating that savings in interest costs of as much as $720,000 were made by greater utilization of Treasury accounts for the deposits. 5. Review of Prices Charged for Meals Served to Employees and Visitors at Penal Institutions, Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice. (a) Summary of action. The GAO reported that the Bureau of Prisons furnished meals to its employees and visitors at prices lower than those charged at certain other governmental agencies where reasonable comparable meals were served. After subcommittee interest was expressed, the Bureau increased the price of meal tickets by 5 cents and advised that continuous analysis and reviews are being made when it appears that adjustments are indicated. (b) Estimated monetary and other benefits.-The increased prices put into effect by the Bureau estimatedly will increase the charges for meals by about $30,000, the amount of savings. RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS SUBCOMMITTEE "Review of Long-Term Medical Research on Aging of Aviation Personnel," April 12, 1966, B-158515. (a) Summary of subcommittee action. The subcommittee undertook a further investigation of facts outlined in this GAO report and subsequently prepared a report for committee issuance described in I.A. above [p. 77]. (b) Estimated monetary and other benefits.-See I.A. above [p. 77.] SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON DONABLE PROPERTY One GAO report has been referred to the Special Subcommittee on Donable Property. Ineffective Utilization of Excess Personal Property in the Foreign Assistance Program, Agency for International Development, Department of State (B-146995, April 12, 1965). (a) Summary of subcommittee action.-See page 78. B. OTHER REPORTS OR STATEMENTS GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES SUBCOMMITTEE A total of 147 explanatory statements of proposed negotiated disposals and leases of Government surplus property were referred to the subcommittee for review during the 89th Congress in accordance with section 203 (e) (6) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended. The appraised fair market value of the property submitted to the subcommittee for review was $54,725,152. The amount the Government received pursuant to the sale of the property covered by the explanatory statements was $65,790,181. All of the property disposals submitted to the subcommittee were reviewed in detail. Numerous objections and recommendations were submitted to the Administrator of General Services relating to possible improvements in the disposal program. Additional sums were received from sales on several of the smaller disposals. An additional $2.2 million will be obtained from the Virgin Islands government for the sale of surplus Federal electric power and salt water distillation facilities above and beyond the $7.3 million sales price initially agreed to between the Virgin Islands government and the General Services Administration. After negotiations of more than a year, the Virgin Islands government has agreed to increase the purchase price by $2.2 million to meet subcommittee objections to this sale. This additional sum as paid by the Virgin Islands government will be deposited as miscellaneous receipts in the Federal Treasury, according to a ruling the subcommittee has obtained from the Comptroller General. IV. Committee Prints In addition to the formal committee reports made to the House of Representatives, the committee also publishes certain documents of a background nature for committee and other congressional use, and as a matter of general information. During the 89th Congress, the committee published committee prints as follows: FULL COMMITTEE 1. "Activities of the House Committee on Government Operations, 88th Congress, 1st and 2nd Sessions, 1963-64," January 1965. 2. "Interim Report of the Activities of the House Committee on Government Operations, 89th Congress, 1st session, 1965," January 1966. 3. "Results From Recommendations Made During the 88th Congress in Reports of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives," July 1966. 4. "Economic Report on Milk and Bread Prices," November 1966. 5. "Compiled Statutes-Committee on Government Operations," December 1966. EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE 1. "Federal Real and Personal Property Inventory Report (Civilian and Military) of the U.S. Government Covering Its Properties Located in the United States, in the Territories, and Overseas as of June 30, 1964," January 1965. 2. "Federal Real and Personal Property Inventory Report (Civilian and Military) of the U.S. Government Covering Its Properties Located in the United States, in the Territories, and Overseas as of June 30, 1966," January 1967. MILITARY OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE "Government Weather Programs (Military and Civilian Operations and Research)-Responses of the Executive Agencies to House Report No. 177, 89th Congress." August 1965. This Committee Print contains the replies of 20 executive branch departments, agencies, and offices, and 3 private organizations, pro viding comments, responses, additional data and suggested corrections to House Report No. 177, which is reported in section I.A. [p. 25] above. GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES SUBCOMMITTEE In October 1966 the subcommittee published a report entitled "The Short Life of the Electric Light Bulb," evaluating in depth the technical factors involved in electric light bulb design and commenting on the position taken by American bulb manufacturers on the preliminary report issued 2 years ago on this same subject. As shown in the preliminary study of June 1964, the report concludes that the present standard series of household variety bulbs are designed to last for too short a period. The report demonstrates that the life of these bulbs could be doubled or substantially increased to the advantage and convenience of consumers at minimal additional costs of less than 5 cents per year for every 60-, 75-, and 100-watt bulb used in the home. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE "Metropolitan America: Challenge to Federalism" (89th Cong., 2d sess., October 1966) This study, prepared by Prof. Bernard J. Frieden of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the auspices of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, was submitted to the subcommittee in connection with its responsibility for studying Federal-State-local relations and its continuing interest in the problems of the Nation's metropolitan areas. It is designed to present in a single document the essence of the many urban studies and recommendations made by the Advisory Commission during the past 7 years. These recommendations provide a valuable foundation for the development of a philosophy of intergovernmental relations and a coordinated program of Federal, State, and local action to meet the needs of an urban society. It is expected that this synthesis of a major part of the Commission's research and recommendations will be helpful not only to the subcommittee in its further study of metropolitan area problems, but also to all Members of the Congress who are faced with these problems in serving their constituencies. LEGAL AND MONETARY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE "The Gold Situation," a study of the U.S. gold stock in the light of international demands upon it, was issued as a committee print on July 19, 1965. |