Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential Federal Expenditures
Summary
The Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential Federal Expenditures existed from 1941 to 1974. It was also referred to as the Byrd committee after its advocate and long-time chair, Senator Harry F. Byrd. The joint committee was established by Section 601 of the Revenue Act of 1941, and terminated by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
References
The following are documents that refer to the Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential Federal Expenditures:
CRS – History of the Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential Federal Expenditures (1941- 1974), with Observations on Oversight Today (R41465 October 26, 2010)
Deschler’s Reference (Floor Point of Order Regarding Funding for the RNFE): Deschlers’s Ch. 26 § 20 (pp. 5589-5590)
Statutory Authorization
Revenue Act of 1941 (Pub. L. 77-250, 55 Stat. 687, September 20, 1941)
77th Congress, 1st Session (1941))
TITLE VI-NONESSENTIAL FEDERAL EXPENDITURES
SEC. 601. NONESSENTIAL FEDERAL EXPENDITURES.
(a) There is hereby established a committee to investigate Federal expenditures (hereinafter referred to as the “committee”), to be composed of (1) three members of the Senate Committee on Finance and three members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; (2) three members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and three members of the House Committee on Appropriations, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and (3) the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget. A vacancy in the committee shall not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the functions of the committee, and shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection. A majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum, and the powers conferred upon them by this section may be exercised by a majority vote.
(b) It shall be the duty of the committee to make a full and complete study and investigation of all expenditures of the Federal Government with a view to recommending the elimination or reduction of all such expenditures deemed by the committee to be nonessential. The committee shall report to the President and to the Congress the results of its study, together with its recommendations, at the earliest practicable date.
(c) The committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee thereof, is authorized to hold such hearings, to sit and act at such times and places, to employ such experts and such clerical and other assistants, to require by subpena or otherwise the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, papers, and documents, to administer such oaths, to take such testimony, and to make such expenditures, as it deems advisable. The provisions of sections 102 to 104, inclusive, of the Revised Statutes shall apply in case of any failure of any witness to comply with any subpena, or testify when summoned under the authority of this section.
(d) The committee is authorized to utilize the services, information, facilities, and personnel of the departments and agencies of the Government.
(e) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, the sum of the $10,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the provisions of this section.
(f) All authority conferred by this section shall terminate upon the submission of the committee’s final report.
Termination
The joint committee was terminated by Section 202(e) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974,12 and its functions and personnel were transferred to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The report of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee explained:
Section 202(e) transfers the duties, functions, and personnel of the Joint Committee on Reduction of Federal Expenditures to CBO. The work of this joint committee, although not widely publicized, has been of excellent professional quality and tremendously helpful in providing a scorekeeping record of congressional action and its impact on the Nation’s budgetary posture. The Committee’s intent is to incorporate this expertise into the function of the CBO so that it can be further developed and highlighted as an essential part of the congressional budget process.
U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, Congressional Budget Act of 1974, report to accompany S. 1541, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess., S. Rept. 93-688 (Washington, DC: GPO, 1974), p. 36.
The report of the House Budget Committee described the termination this way in 1975:
Section 202(e). The Joint Committee on Reduction of Federal Expenditures
The Senate amendment provided for the termination of the Joint Committee on Reduction or Federal Expenditures and the transfer of its functions to the Congressional Budget Office.
The conference substitute provides for the termination of the Joint Committee and the transfer or its functions to the Budget Office. This transfer is timed to the appointment of the Director of the Budget Office, so that it will start with n core or experienced technicians and analysts who can perform the scorekeeping functions of the congressional budget process.
U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Budget, Joint Explanatory Statement on the Committee of Conference on H.R. 7130;(Committee Print), Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, 93d Congress, 2d Session, Washington D.C. 1975.
Budget Counsel 