Fiscal Year 1996 Budget Estimates for the General Accounting Office
Highlights
GAO discussed its fiscal year 1996 budget request. GAO noted that: (1) its staff has decreased since 1992, and it is prepared to implement a 25-percent staff reduction by 1997; (2) it has upgraded its technology by installing voice mail and a videoconferencing network, and is installing computer networks to enable it to work more efficiently with less staff; (3) if it were required to implement a 25-percent staff reduction in 1 year, rather than over 2 years, it would need to undertake reductions in force, which would impair its ability to provide essential audit coverage and meet its statutory requirements; (4) GAO work has led to budget reductions, cost avoidance, and revenue enhancements of nearly $200 billion over the past decade; (5) its recent high-risk series emphasized the need to focus on ways to eliminate wasteful government practices; (6) its expertise can assist Congress in downsizing federal agencies and achieving a balanced budget; and (7) it is implementing several recommendations from a National Academy of Public Administration review of GAO, and is funding an organizational performance review of GAO by an independent auditor.