II. IMPACT BY PROGRAM CATEGORY The effect of alternative funding levels on positions and total funds for CPSC's program categories is given at table 2. A narrative of the impact on program accomplishments is given at table 3. 1 Adjusted to new program structure. ADP costs are now included in the administration program for all cases. 2 Includes $10,000 reimbursements. III. IMPACT BY OBJECT CLASS Obligations by object class for 1975 and three levels of 1976 are given in table 4. During 1975, the Commission obligated $36,625,000 in pursuing its regulatory task. Within this amount, long-term activities necessary to an effective standards development process and a balanced regulatory approach were initiated. The fullyear costs of these activities and other uncontrollable cost increases, such as salaries and rentals, require an increase of $2,939,000 over the 1975 level. The major uncontrollable increases facing the Commission are salaries (object classes 11 and 12) and rent, communications, and utilities (object class 23). An increase is needed for the annualization of salaries and for the pay raise effective October 1, 1975. The increase in rentals represents the full-year cost of the CPSC laboratories, relocated area offices, and resident posts, partially offset by the 10 percent reduction in GSA standard level user charges. The reduction of costs for equipment (object class 31) is caused by the onetime cost in 1975 of equipping the headquarters laboratory, field laboratories in New York and Chicago, 17 resident posts, and two information centers in the Washington metropolitan area. Mr. BOLAND. We will now hear from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Mr. Shipley will handle the questioning. Mr. SHIPLEY. We are glad to have Mr. Simpson and the Consumer Product Safety Commission with us today. We have an unusual situation confronting the subcommittee, I think, at this time. As we know, the President's request was for $36 million. We had a lot of problems with it through the hearings and through the conferences, and so on, and I understand, Mr. Simpson, you are leaving. Mr. SIMPSON. Yes; that is true. This is probably my last appearance before the Congress, certainly before this committee. Mr. SHIPLEY. I hope that this committee has had nothing to do with your leaving. Mr. BOLAND. May I comment? I must say this committee, at least speaking for myself, and I am sure it echoes the sentiments of others, too, regrets your leaving as the Chairman of this Commission. It is a Commission where the chairmanship is one that would not be the most popular in the Nation, and it is one where I think an absolute requirement for the Chairman is that he be fair to all involved, and you have been, in my judgment. You occupy a very difficult position in the interpretation of the laws and carrying out the laws that are mandated to the Commission by the Congress. The chairmanship and also the other membership on this Commission affords the opportunity for interference with the business community that could be unreasonable and inequitable. In my judgment, this has not occurred under your direction, and for that I applaud you. At the same time, I think the Commission has exercised its mandate as fairly as possible in keeping with the intent of the mandate of the law, and it has made every effort to protect the public interest, the consumer interest, in every fair and reasonable way. From your appearances before this committee, from what I have read in the press with reference to the activity of the Commission in the short time it has been in existence, it has benefited tremendously from the manner in which you have exercised the terribly important and very difficult job as chairman. For my part, I emphasize, I regret you are leaving, Mr. Chairman, and I regret that this Government, the Federal Government, loses your ability and your knowledge and your expertise and dedication and devotion. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the fine words and let me state on behalf of myself personally and this agency, my respect for this committee-we have now appeared three times: today; the first of this year on our fiscal year 1976 appropriations; and we also appeared on rescissions on fiscal year 1975 appropriations. As an individual who comes from outside the Government and appears for a while in Government circles and goes back, I think it is fairly easy to become a skeptic, but the activity of this committee has been fair. You have been interested and objective, and it has been a pleasure to be here. We have no question about your interest with respect to this agency, and I speak on behalf of the entire Commission. Mr. BOLAND. Thank you very much. Mr. SHIPLEY. Mr. Talcott. Mr. TALCOTT. I would like to say that I certainly concur with the chairman. I commend you and applaud the work that you have done in one of the most difficult jobs in Government. You have had a new agency and a difficult agency with diverging views and many pressures, and I want to commend you and thank you for the time that you have served in the Government, I regret your leaving. I hope you don't stay out forever. Mr. SIMPSON. Thank you. I appreciate that. CPSC POSITION ON PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 1976 RESCISSION REQUEST Mr. SHIPLEY. Mr. Simpson, the committee appreciates your being here today. For fiscal year 1976, the Congress provided $41,820,000 for the CPSC. This was an increase of $5,225,000 above the President's request of $36,595,000. At the time you testified before this committee in April, the Commission's request for fiscal year 1976 was $50,400,000. The administration is now proposing to rescind the full $5,225,000 increase above the President's budget. In your letter of December 5, you are now suggesting that the Commission can live with $39,564,000 or $2,320,000 less than we provided. I think you can sympathize that this puts the House committee in an awkward position-particularly because only 2 months ago we |