LEGISLATIVE SAVINGS HEARINGS BEFORE THE TASK FORCE ON LEGISLATIVE SAVINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS Printed for the use of the Committee on the Budget NICHOLAS A. MASTERS, Director, Majority Associate Staff SHIRLEY RUHE, Associate Director for Budget Process and Operations RICHARD KOGAN, Budget Analyst MARTHA FOLEY, Administrator (II) CONTENTS Page 1 145 146 Long, Hon. Gillis W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Pease, Hon. Donald J., a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio. Additional information submitted for the record by- Cutter, W. Bowman: 1977 Suggested State Legislation Developed by the Committee on Questions submitted by Hon. Eldon Rudd Comptroller General's report to the Congress entitled: Actions Needed to Stop Excess Medicare Payments for Blood and Blood Correspondence from the American Red Cross Blood Services, 105 153 2 109 336 32 Schick, Dr. Allen, prepared statement.. Staats, Hon. Elmer B., prepared statement with attachments I: Collections and Other Measurable Savings Attributable to the Work of the General Accounting Office, Fiscal Years 1978 and II: There is a Need to Considerably Tighten the Payment of IV: The Davis-Bacon Act is no Longer Needed and Impossible to Administer Fairly; its Repeal Would Result in Large Construc- V: Competitive Procurement of Medicaid Supplies and Laboratory Services Offers Large Savings Opportunities. VI: Interagency Sharing of Federal Medical Resources Would Reduce Costs and Improve Effectiveness. VII: Costly Veterans Benefits are Being Granted to Persons Fail- ing to Complete Initial Enlistments VIII: Minor and Necessary Changes in the Calculation of Certain Social Security Benefits Would Result in Large Savings.......... IX: Consolidation and Rationalization of Federal Food Assistance X: Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Retirees are Unneces- XI: Major Wastewater Treatment Cost Savings Could be Achieved if the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency was Given Certain Discretionary Authorities XII: Improved Management Would Avoid Significant Shortfalls in XVI: There is a Need to Create a Self-Sustaining National Trust Fund by Assessing Fees on the Disposal of Hazardous Wastes... XIV: Authorizing the Withholding of Tax Refunds Could Reduce LEGISLATIVE SAVINGS TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1979 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TASK FORCE ON LEGISLATIVE SAVINGS, The task force met, pursuant to notice, at 9:40 a.m., in room 2203, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Leon E. Panetta, chairman of the task force, presiding. Mr. PANETTA. The hearing of the Task Force on Legislative Savings is now in order. I would like to begin with an opening statement. I might first of all thank all of you ladies and gentlemen, members of the Legislative Savings Task Force, for the opportunity to proceed with these hearings. This morning it is the first of three hearings we have scheduled this week to inquire into new ideas for legislative savings and new ways to incorporate legislative savings into the budget and the legislative processes in the House. As you may know, this is the first year that the House Budget Committee has had a task force specifically focusing on legislative savings. In fact, it is not really a coincidence that the task force came into being this year for the first time because this year has been somewhat unique for budgeteers and because it is one which concerns the issues of a seriously deteriorating economy combined with calls for a balanced budget. Both of these have brought to bear what is obviously a very tight budget process. In such a climate legislative savings, the elimination of mandatory spending items that are not really needed, has become very important indeed. The First Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 1980 contains legislative savings amounting to more than $4.2 billion in outlays and more than $2.6 billion in budget authority. Spun over a 5-year, period these savings amount to tens of billions of dollars in savings. In order to encourage committees to act on these savings, the task force has been active in a number of areas. First, the task force's work with the administration and the Office of Management and Budget, to see that legislative saving initiatives proposed by the President are submitted to the Congress in a timely fashion, and this has been done. Second, we have circulated on a regular basis the budget bulletin, a distinctive green fact sheet with up-to-date status reports on legislative savings. Comments from Members and staff indicate that this bulletin has been successful in making people aware of the role of legislative savings in the budget process. (1) |