Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2521 - Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 1992

(House Rules)
(Sponsors: Whitten (D), Mississippi; Murtha (D), Pennsylvania)

This Statement of Administration Policy expresses the Administration's views on H.R. 2521, the FY 1992 Defense Appropriations Bill, as reported by the House Appropriations Committee. The Administration strongly objects to language approved in Committee that would permit abortions to be performed at U.S. military health facilities overseas in cases other than when the life of the mother is endangered. The President has stated that he would veto any legislation presented to him with this provision.

Based on a preliminary review, the Administration finds the budget authority and outlay levels in the bill consistent with the statutory spending limits for national defense provided for in the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. The bill, however, contains a number of objectionable provisions that would severely compromise national defense objectives. The President's senior advisers would recommend that the President veto the bill if it were presented to him with these provisions in their present form.

Of particular concern are the provisions to:

• eliminate funding for continuation of B-2 Stealth bomber procurement, despite the importance of this system in maintaining strategic deterrence;
  
  
• underfund the SDI program, which would terminate key elements of the Administration's initiative to provide global protection against limited nuclear strikes;
  
  
• fund unrequested or low-priority programs, such as the V-22 aircraft and the F-14 fighter; and
  
  
• prohibit reductions in Reserve and National Guard end- strength and force structure, which would cause imbalances in the total force structure.

The Committee-reported bill would increase funding in operations accounts for unrequested programs and reduce funding in slower spending investment accounts. Because this would otherwise increase outlays to a level above the discretionary cap, the bill makes certain appropriations unavailable for obligation until the last month of the fiscal year. These obligation limitations would distort the Administration's program priorities and require adjustments to the FY 1993 program to keep it within the discretionary outlay cap. The Administration urges the House to adopt the President's proposed spending priorities, which would provide for needed programs without resorting to obligation limitations.

The Administration strongly opposes the provision to prevent implementation of Public Law 101-576, the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. This law addresses long-standing Congressional and Administration concerns about financial management deficiencies in the Federal Government. These ere deficiencies that must be corrected.

In passing the Chief Financial Officers Act (CFOs Act), the Congress found that "[b]illions of dollars...lost each year through fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement...could be significantly decreased by improved management." As a remedy, the CFOs Act (passed by voice vote without dissent): (1) strengthens management capabilities; (2) provides for improved accounting systems, financial management, and internal controls to assure reliable information and deterrence of fraud, waste, and abuse; and (3) provides for reliable financial information — useful to Congress and the Executive Branch — in financing, managing, and evaluating Federal programs. Implementation of the CFOs Act is essential to good government.