The Case of Supercomputers
(Julie Gorte)
Role of Telecommunication
Technologies in Education
(Linda Roberts)
OTA Report - Biology of Mental
Disorders (Laura Hall)
Competitiveness in Large
Commercial Aircraft
(Julie Gorte)
Summary of OTA's Findings
Relating to Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(John H. Gibbons)
Relevance to the Treaty on Open
Skies of OTA work on
Cooperative Aerial Surveillance
(Tom Karas)
113
463
16.D. 2. Formal Briefings
OTA regularly receives inquiries from Congressional offices and committees regarding issues that are the
subject of past or current OTA work. Responses by OTA are provided both orally or in brief written communications.
The following is a listing of Congressional committees and a sampling of topics.
COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE
Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation
o FAA Technical Center in New Jersey
o OTA's report Federally Funded Research
Armed Services
o Legislative initiatives to 1) ease defense conversion
and 2) promote competitiveness
Finance
o Preventive Health Technologies
Governmental Affairs
o Energy Efficiency in the Federal Government
Joint Economic
o Legislation relevant to conversion of small defense
firms to commercial production
Labor and Human Resources
o Oregon Medicaid Evaluation
o Adolescent Health
o Use of satellites for distance education
o Role of telecommunications policy
Energy and Natural Resources
o Improving Automobile Fuel Economy
COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE
Agriculture
Subcommittee on Nutrition
o Food Stamp employment and training program
Appropriations
o OTA Aviation R&D study
o Interface between FAA R&D and DOD
o Independent R&D funding
o FAA management of large acquisitions
Education and Labor
Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational
Education
o Testing in American schools
114
464
Energy and Commerce
o Oregon Medicaid Evaluation
o Improving automobile fuel economy
Subcommittee on Energy and Power
o Energy efficiency in the Federal Government
Public Works and Transportation
Subcommittee on Aviation
o OTA Aviation R&D study
o Satellite technology applications
o International safety regulations
Science, Space and Technology
o Summary and policy options of Competing Economies
report
o OTA's background paper, NASA 's Office of Space Science and
Application
o OTA's Complex Cleanup report
o Technology assistance to raise environmental
standards in Mexico and other Latin American Countries
Subcommittee on Science
o Community colleges: the state of information
Subcommittee on Technology and Competitiveness
o Coordination between FAA R&D and facilities and
equipment (F&E) acquisition and implementation
o Use of NASA expertise
o Long-term aviation infrastructure p lanning
Special Committee on Aging
o Technology transfer programs at N1H of benefit
to the pharmaceutical industry
INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSE MEMBERS
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition
o OTA reports: After the Cold War and Redesigning
Defense
115
465
OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Program and financing (in thousands of dollars)
wrirfciico am 09-O7O0-O-1-801
Program by activities
1000 Total obligations
Financing:
25.00 Unobligated balance eipinng
40 00 Budget authority (appropriation)
Relation of obligations to outlays
7100 Total obligations
72 40 Obligated balance, start of year
74 40 Obligated balance, end ot year....
77 00 Adiustments in enpired accounts .
90.00 Outlays
21.021
21.025
21.021
4,034
-5.037
-135
19.882
21.025
21.025
22.925
22.925
21.025 22.925
5.037 4.230
-4.230 -4.612
21.832 22.543
Object Classification (In thousands of dollars)
MmMcitm to* 09-0700-0-1-801
Personnel compensation:
11.1 Full-time permanent
11.3 Other than lull-time permanent
2S1
25.2
260
31.0
999
Total personnel compensation....
Civilian personnel benefits
Benefits for former personnel...
Travel and transportation of persons..
Transportation of things _..
Rental payments to others ..
119
121
13
210
220
232
23.3 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous charges..
24 Printing and reproduction .
Consulting services
Other services..
Supplies and materials ..
Equipment
Total obligations
199? actual 1993 est
Personnel Summary
ttnufatoi cork 09-0700-0-1-801
8.584
2.045
21.021
9.024
2.420
21.025-
1001 Total compensable workyears Full-time equivalent em-
ployment 193
210
1994 «t
9.736
2.612
10.629
11.444
12.348
2.185
2.370
2.659
16
51
52
316
368
391
112
110
no
1,915
2.000
2.052
223
252
262
531
S41
560
3.065
2.701
3.262
1.307
761
792
305
245
253
417
182
184
22.925
210
TruMt Fundi
CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS
Unavailable Collections (in thousands of dollars)
09-1094 -O-7-401
01 00 Ba>aree start of year
02 01 Rtoapts
20
6
S
2
07 00 Balance end of near
Program and Financing (m thousands of dollars)
09-8094-0-7-101
119? I
Program by actnrrtjcs
1000 Total obkgatnts (cored class 25-2)
financing:
39 00 Budget KrtJwrity
Budget authority
60 05 Apprconatcr indefarte.
60.45 Portion precluded from obligator]
63 00 Appropnaton (too;
1991 en
28
l»94i
Relator of cMigatms to outlays
71 00 Total obligations
9000
Outlays
[CtetH's note —Hie Program and Finance and Object Oass tables reflect the budget
justifications as submitted to the Subcommittee Please check Appendix to the President
FY94 Budget for any changes that may be made subsequent to the January 199
submission to the Subcommittee 1
THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Justification of Estimates of Appropriations for
Fiscal Year 1994
Congressional Budget Office
S urinary
By Organization and By Object Class
FY
92
FT
93
FY
94
ACTUAL
ESTIMATE
ESTIMATE
NET CHANCE
93/94 |
DOLLARS
DOLLARS
DOLLARS
DOLLARS |
j CATEGORIES
STAFF
(MOO)
STAFF
(tOOO)
STAFF
(MOO)
STAFF
(1000) |
|1. Breakdown By Organizations:
| Office of the Director
6
705
6
662
6
690
28 j
Budget Analysis Division
74
6,490
73
6,775
73
7,184
409 |
Macroeconomic Analysis Division
22
1,806
21
1,890
21
1,899
9 |
Tax Analysis Division
17
1,856
17
1,950
17
2.029
79 j
Program Divisions (Natural Resources,
69
6,849
75
7,230
75
7,640
410 |
Human Resources, National Security
and Special Studies)
Central Support (Office of Inter-
30
4,110
28
4,035
28
4,207
172 j
governmental Relations and Support)
| Total
218
21,816
220
22,542
220
23,650
,108 |
|2. Breakdown By Object Class:
| 11 Personnel Compensation
13,634
14,560
15,345
785 |
12 Personnel Benefits
3,622
3,745
3,995
250 |
13 Benefits to Former Personnel
^2
10
10
I
| 21 Travel
80
95
95
I
22 Transportation of Things
1
1
I
| 23 Rent, Communications and utilities
357
359
363
4 |
| 24 Printing and Reproduction
501
5J5
555
20 |
25 Other Services
2.759
2419
2,443
« I
| 26 Supplies and Materials
323
371
387
16 |
31 Equipment
537
447
456
» 1
32 Land and Structures
1
42 Insurance Claims and Indemnities
o 1
j Total
21,816
22,542
23,650
,108 |
rows nay not add due to rounding.
(467)
468
Congressional Budget Office
Analysis of Change To Budget Base
By Organization and By Object Class
PROGRAM
IYPE CHANGES
EQUIPMENT,
MANDATORY PAY
ALTERATIONS,
AND
RELATED
PRICE LEVEL
MAINTENANCE,
TOTAL
:osts
CHANGES
LEGISLATION
WORKLOAD
REPAIRS, ETC.
CHANGES
DOLLARS
1
1
DOLLARS
I
I
DOLLARS
I
| DOLLARS
I
I
DOLLARS
I
I
DOLLARS |
j CATEGORIES
STAFF
(S000)
STAFF |
(S000)
STAFF
(S000)
STAFF
| (S000)
STAFF
(S000)
STAFF
(S000) |
|1. Breakdown By Organizations:
Office of the Director
28
28 |
Budget Analysis Division
3B4
25
409 |
Macroeconomic Analysis Division
97
2
(90)
9 |
Tax Analysis Division
79
79 |
Program Divisions (Natural Resources,
345
65
410 |
| Human Resources, National Security
and Special Studies)
| Central Support (Office of Inter-
101
71
172 |
| governmental Relations and Support)
| Total
1,035
73
1
,108 |
|2. Breakdown By Object Class:
11 Personnel Compensation
785
785 |
12 Personnel Benefits
250
250 |
13 Benefits to Former Personnel
|
| 21 Travel
1
22 Transportation of Things
|
23 Rent, Communications and Utilities
4
4 |
24 Printing and Reproduction
20
20 |
| 23 Other Services
24
K 1
| 26 Supplies and Materials
16
16 |
31 Equipment
9
9 |
| 32 Land and Structures
|
42 Insurance Claims and Indemnities
o
I
| Total
1,035
73
°
1
,108 |
Note: Columns and rows may not add due to rounding.
469
Congressional Budget Office
Summary
Detailed Analysis of Change by Organization
Appropriation, 1993
Plus: Supplemental for pay
Minus: Nonrecurring costs
Budget Base, 1993
I. Adjustments to Base
A. Mandatory Changes
1. Merit increases and related benefits
2. FY 1994 ECI adjustment • 2.2X
3. Annual ization of prior year pay raises
4. Benefits price increases
B. Price Level Changes
1. Printing price increase of 3.7X
2. Commercial AOP price increases of 2.6X
3. Administrative contract increases of 7.7X
4. Misc. services price increase of 2.2X
5. Subscriptions price increase of 101
6. Books and office equip price increases
7. Miscellaneous price increases
C. Program Type Changes
1. Legislation
2. Workload
a. Re-alignment of current spending for
systems, data, and model development
3. Equipment, Alterations, Haint.,
Repairs etc.
II. Net Increase/Decrease Requested
III. Total Appropriation Request, 1994
Calculation of Base
| Staff | Amount
(U00) |
I 220 I
22.542 |
I o I
|
I ° I
|
I 220 |
22,542 |
1 :::::::t:m
........ |
| 1993 Request
| Staff | Amount
(MOO) |
1,035 |
1 1 280
1 1 28°
j | 404
1 1 °2
" I
1 1 20
1 1 8
1 1 10
I I °
I I 12
I I '
I I 8
I
|
I I o
I
I ° I
1,108 |
I 220 |
23,650 |
Note: Columns may not add due to rounding.
470
j EXPLANATION OF CHANGES SHOWN ON SCHEDULE C |
|A. MANDATORY CHANGES | Staff | Amount (tOOO) |
|1. Merit increases and related benefits | | 2B0 |
Merit pay increases are budgeted at 3.1X of base salaries.
|2. FY 1994 ECI adjustment j j 289 |
Funding for a 2.2X EC! adjustment on January 1, 1994.
|3. Annual izat ion of FY 1993 pay raises | | 404 |
j The annualization of a 1993 3.2X ECI and FY 1993 merit | | j
increases.
|4. Miscellaneous benefit cost increases 62 |
Includes increases in agency costs for employee health
insurance and social security.
|B. PRICE LEVEL CHANGES | Staff | Amount (S000) |
|1. Printing price increases of 3.7X 20 |
Printing costs are expected to increase by 3.7X according to
GPO which prints all CBO publications.
|2. Commercial ADP price increases of 2.6X 8 |
ADP commercial timesharing access and usage price increases will
average 2.6X based on information provided by major vendors. | | j
|3. Administrative contracts increase of 7.7X 10 J
The price increase for administrative services provided by the
Library of Congress end the NFC is projected from recent
increases in these contracts.
|4. Misc. services price increase of 2.2X 6 ]
Price increases in this area are projected at 2.2X, slightly |
below the current CBO inflation forcast.
|5. Subscriptions price increase of 10X | 12 |
This price increase is based on information from major vendors. |
|6. Books and office equipment price increase 9 |
This price increase for books and office machines is based on
information from major vendors.
|7. Miscellaneous price increases | | 8 j
Includes increases for couriers, office supplies, and ADP software. |
471
EXPLANATION OF CHANCES SHOWN ON SCHEDULE C
| XSSSSS3S±3==3S3S3SSSXXE=S
|C. PROGRAM TYPE CHANGES
Amount (WOO)
|1. Legislation
|tiEiE*s:::s:
| 2. Workload
I
Amo**it (JOOO)
!â– â– Re-alignment of spending for systems, data, and model development
These funds are used to purchase data needed to update
existing models and data bases, to modify current models, and to
develop models in areas not previously analyzed by C80.
Although funding is maintained at the current level, funds are
being re-allocated among the divisions to reflect projected
changes in spending needs.
Equipment, Alterations, Maintenance, Repairs etc.
Staff
Amount (1000)
No changes in spending for equipment or maintenance are included
this request.
472
Congressional Budget Office
Summary of Agency Request
FY 1994 Budget Request
| Calculation of Base j
| Staff | Amount |
Appropriation, 1993 j 226 j 22,542,000 |
Supplemental for pay |
Nonrecurring costs |
Budget Base, 1993 (est.) f 226 j 22,542,000 j
Proposed Changes for FY 1994
Mandatory Pay and Related Costs 1,035,000 |
Price Level Changes 73,000 |
Program Type Changes
Legislation |
Workload | | |
Equipment, Alterations, |
Maintenance, Repairs etc.
Total Proposed Changes | 1,108,000 j
FY 1994 Budget Request | 226 | 23,650,000 |
473
OVERVIEW OF CBQ'S ROLE
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 established the Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) as a nonpartisan Congressional support agency. Its mandate is
to be analytically precise, professional, and politically unbiased in providing the
Congress with information on matters of budgetary and fiscal policy.
In addition to the work products specified in the Act, including
scorekeeping, five-year cost estimates of reported bills, and five-year
projections of new budget authority, outlays, and revenues, the Congressional
Budget Office has three principal statutory tasks: (1) to provide information
to the two Budget Committees on all matters within their jurisdiction and such
further reports "as may be necessary and appropriate"; (2) to provide
information to the appropriating and tax committees on request; and (3) on
request of any other committees, to provide information compiled for the
budget, taxing, and appropriating committees plus "to the extent practicable"
additional requested information.
The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 (Title XIII of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (BEA) assigned CBO additional statutory
tasks through 1995 when the act expires. Three times a year, CBO must report
whether a sequestration of budgetary resources will be necessary to adhere to
the discretionary appropriation caps, the pay-as you-go requirement for direct
spending and receipts legislation, or the maximum deficit amount for a fiscal
year. Also, as soon as practicable after Congress completes action on an
appropriation bill or on any direct spending or receipts legislation, CBO must
provide the Office of Management and Budget with a cost estimate. The
Director of CBO is also responsible for alerting the Congress to a recession or
downturn in the economy that might warrant a suspension of the Budget
Enforcement Act's procedures. Finally, the Budget Enforcement Act directed
CBO to prepare studies on the budget accounting for deposit insurance
programs and on the financial risks posed by government-sponsored
enterprises.
CBQ'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING FY 1992
Once again in FY 1992, budget issues and the health of the economy
dominated the legislative agenda of the Congress. As a result, the work of the
CBO figured prominently in Congressional deliberations of the issues before
the nation. The agency's workload remained steady except for the task of
implementing the BEA, which involved working with the Congress and the
Office of Management and Budget to settle various issues and questions
relating in particular to discretionary spending caps and pay-as-you-go
requirements. In addition to the continuing priority given to reducing the
federal deficit, major budgetary issues during the year included health care
474
CBO'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING FY 1992 cont.
reform, the financial health of various government-backed financial institutions,
the budgetary and economic impacts of reduced defense spending, and trade
and competitiveness.
During the year, the Budget Analysis Division continued to support the
Congress on the FY 1993 budget formulation and produced hundreds of bill
cost estimates, regular scorekeeping reports, baseline budget projections, and
budget estimates for budget reduction options. The division continued to assist
the Congress with the implementation of the new Budget Enforcement Act and
working closely with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to
minimize differences in spending estimates.
In addition to providing the Congress with regular analyses and
projections of the U.S. economy, the Macroeconomic Analysis Division
published major studies in many economic areas including the economic effects
of the savings and loan crisis, the economic impact of reduced defense
spending, the rising costs of health care, and limiting conventional arms
exports.
In addition to its revenue scorekeeping reports and revenue cost
estimates, the Tax Analysis Division prepared analyses on adopting a value-
added tax and corporate tax receipts since the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
The CBO's four program divisions-Natural Resources and Commerce,
Human Resources and Community Development, National Security, and
Special Studies-continued to assist the Congress in focusing its debate by
organizing and presenting budget analyses that outlined options and
alternatives. The topics of these analyses included government-backed
financial institution reform, infrastructure spending, reforming and controlling
health care spending, economic effects of reduced defense spending, trends in
costs of military health care, the administrative costs of credit reform, and the
marketing activity of the Resolution Trust Corporation.
Micro-to-mainframe capabilities continued to be developed by the
automated systems staff, enabling analysts to quickly move data between their
microcomputer models and mainframe data bases, thereby increasing
productivity by reducing manual data handling as well as reducing timesharing
costs. Also in FY 1992, CBO continued to expand its local-area-network
(LAN) capability, and completed the connection of all divisions to a LAN.
And, in FY 1992, the agency completed the conversion to a more efficient
automated procurement and inventory system, upgraded its document
production system, and revised the format of its published reports and studies.
475
CHANGES IN CBO'S PLANS FOR FY 1992 AND FY 1993
The CBO FY 1992 spending plan was designed to fund 220 work-years, to pay
for price increases in the ADP and administrative areas, and to fund expected
workload increases in ADP timesharing and printing costs.
Actual results show a significant variance from this plan in only one
area. Printing costs in FY 1992 were $132,000 below the plan because a
change in the format of CBO's published studies and reports reduced their
length, and therefore printing costs, by about one third.
FY 1993. Since the CBO FY 1993 appropriation was frozen at the FY
1992 level, the new CBO FY 1993 spending estimate varies significantly from
the original 1993 request. Pay and benefit spending for 220 workyears of
permanent staff fell by $650,000. This reduction of nearly $3,000 per workyear
is the cumulative two-year effect of cost reductions in three main areas: lower
salary rates-in real terms- for new employees due to labor market conditions;
additional restraint on the size of merit increases for CBO staff; and less
upward pressure on fringe benefit costs. CBO also moderated its across-the-
board January 1993 ECI pay adjustment. Rather than the 3.7 percent increase
given to most Executive Branch employees, CBO salary rates increased by 3.2
percent.
Nonpermanent staff spending has been reduced by $151,000 (38
percent) by restricting the use of interns and temporary employees. Printing
costs were reduced $105,000 because of the savings realized from the new
report format adopted in FY 1992. And, systems, data and model development
spending was reduced by $318,000.
CBO'S GOALS FOR FY 1994
In FY 1994, the Congressional Budget Office will continue to fulfill its mandate
as previously stated. In order to achieve this goal, the following objectives
support this budget request:
o To maintain the quality of analysis currently being provided the
Congress while absorbing a growing workload. This requires the
heavy utilization of all staff in the budget and fiscal analysis areas
specifically responsible for the CBO's duties under the Budget
Enforcement Act;
To increase the efficiency of all analysts with the most up-to-date
computer resources available, while reducing costs by the sharing
of data and equipment through networking; and
476
CRO'S GOALS FOR FY 1994 cont.
o To continue efforts to realize savings in administrative costs by
implementing the most cost-effective data-processing and
information dissemination methods available.
477
CBO'« Products
| FY1992 | FT1993 | X change| FT1994 | X change|
PRODUCTS | (actual) | (est.) | 92-93 | (est.) | 93-94 |
Scorekeeping Reports | 50 | SO | 0X| 50 | 0X|
Federal Bill Cost Estimates (a) | 733 j 750 | 2X| 750 | 01 j
State t Local Bill Cost Est imates(a) | 614 | 600 | -2X| 600 | 0X|
Baseline Budget Projections | 2 | 2 | 0X| 2 | 0X|
Program analysis Reports | 29 | 30 | 3X| 30 | 0X|
Economic Forecast (b) | 2 | 2 | 0X| 2 | 0X|
Analysis of Pres. Budget | 1 | 1 | 0X| 1 | 0X|
Reducing the Deficit | 1 | 1 | 0X| 1 | 0X|
Congressional Testimony | 41 | 41 | 0X| 41 | 0X|
Sequestration Report | 3 | 3 | 0X| 3 | 0X|
(a) Cost estimates are tracked from the start of the legislative session through November.
(b) Includes a comprehensive forecast prepared twice-yearly, plus the quarterly review
required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
CBO's Workload
Total CBO Products:
j | FY1992 | FT1993 | FY1994 |
| | (actual) | (est.) | (est.) |
J Projects pending from prior years 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Projects started during the FT | 1473 | 1480 | 1480 |
|sx===s=ssssss3ssss = === = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 1 ss r kbii == 1 111 e::i:t iiiiiu:: 1
| Total projects pending during the FT | 1501 | 1505 | 1505 |
| Projects completed/terminated during the| |
| the FT | 1476 | 1480 | 1480 j
| projects in progress at the end of | |
| the FT | 25 | 25 | 25 |
I iEtiii»its:mxx:i::::::::::::::::::iii: :::i:::::: ::i:::ii: 1 j;::t;:::
478
CBO's Workload Com.
Mandated Products with Regular Due Dates:
| | FT1992 | FT1993 | FT1994
I | (actual) | (est.) | (est.)
| Mandated projects in progress at the | | |
| beginning of the FT | |
| Projects legally mandated for the FT | K05 | KM | U01
| Mandated Projects started during the FT j UOS | K08 | KM