Statement of Elmer B. Staats Comptroller General of the United States Before the Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security of the Committee on Government Operations United States House of Representatives on H. R. 24, 96th Congress
Abstract
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I am pleased to appear before you today to testify on H.R. 24, the "General Accounting Office Act of 1979". I strongly support most of the bill's provisions and hope that they will be given prompt and favorable consideration by the Congress. With your permission, I would like first to offer our views on the bill as introduced and then, second, our comments on the text of your proposed amendment to H.R. 24. Section 101 of the bill provides GAO authority to audit expenditures authorized by law to be accounted for solely on the approval or certificate of the President or other officials. These are the so-called "unvouchered" or confidential funds provided to a number of Federal agencies. We would be authorized to examine records and other information necessary to determine and advise the cognizant congressional committees as to whether such expenditures were made for authorized purposes. I believe the Congress should have the means, as provided in this bill, to assure that funds made available on a confidential basis are in fact used for authorized purposes. The bill would not grant us the authority to take exception to payments made pursuant to such certifications, and it protects the essential confidentiality of any underlying information involved by limiting disclosure to certain committees of the Congress. The bill preserves the existing statutory authority to exempt from its audit the financial transactions of the Central Intelligence Agency and authorizes the President, to exempt certain other activities relating to intelligence and counter-intelligence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 19, 1979
- Accession Number
- AD1119470
Entities
People
- Elmer B. Staats
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office