Protest of Proposed Contract Award for Inauguration Sound System

A firm protested the award of a contract to any other offeror under a request for proposals for the sound system for the 1981 Presidential Inauguration. The protester asserted that its offer met all of the solicitation's requirements at the lowest cost. GAO bid protest jurisdiction is based on its authority to adjust and settle accounts and to certify balances in the accounts of accountable officers. The funds used for this procurement were from the contingent fund of the Senate; thus, GAO authority is limited. In view of the certification language used in the statute which holds the Committee on Rules and Administration conclusively responsible for the funds, GAO consideration of this protest would serve no useful purpose.