AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND RE LATED AGENCIES FISCAL YEAR 1979 APPROPRIATIONS FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1978 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9:38 a.m., in room 1318, Everett McKinley Dirksen Office Building, Hon. Thomas F. Eagleton (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Eagleton, Burdick, Bellmon, Young, and Mathias. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY STATEMENT OF JOAN S. WALLACE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION ACCOMPANIED BY: RICHARD T. CERTO, ACTING DIRECTOR, BUDGET AND ROBERT SHERMAN, CHIEF, BUDGET DIVISION, OFFICE OF OPENING REMARKS Senator EAGLETON. Today the subcommittee will receive testimony on a variety of appropriation accounts, including the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture, Departmental Administration, the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs, the General Counsel, the Economics, Statistics and Cooperatives Service, and the World Food and Agricultural Outlook and Situation Board. The first witness will be Dr. Joan Wallace, the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration. We are delighted to have you and your colleagues. You may proceed. You might identify your associates for the record, if you will, starting at your right, and going down the line. Dr. WALLACE. Good morning, Mr. Eagleton. I would like to identify Mr. Sherman from the Office of Budget, Planning and Evaluation; Mr. Carter from the Office of the General Counsel; Ms. Sarah Weddington, General Counsel; Mr. Certo from the Office of the Secretary; Mr. Webster who is the Director of Governmental and Public Affairs, and Mr. Mills from that office. We have a number of agencies to talk about this morning. But quickly, I will review my statement for the Office of the Secretary. SUMMARY OF BUDGET REQUEST We are requesting in the 1979 budget for the Office of the Secretary, $4,473,000, an increase of $1,908,000 over the current estimate for fiscal year 1978. The major portions of this increase are to provide funding for the personnel that is currently being detailed into the Office of the Secretary from a variety of USDA agencies. This was directed by Congress in the reports which accompanied the 1978 Agricultural Appropriations Act. The $1,286,000 is to provide direct funding for these personnel in the appropriation for the Office of the Secretary. An increase of $810,000 is included in the budget for the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs under the Departmental Administration appropriations to provide funding for those personnel detailed to the former Offices of Congressional, Public, and Intergovernmental Affairs. The $87,000 is requested for the Office of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation; this item is to provide for a special assistant to the Secretary in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Commodity Programs. This special assistant will coordinate all of the International Affairs special systems programs which serve the issue of international food and agriculture. The person in this office will additionally work with land-grant universities and other agencies throughout Government. The $463,000 is requested to establish the support office which is included under title XIV, section 1412 of the Food and Agricultural Act of 1977 which authorizes the Secretary to establish a full-time professional staff, including related clerical support, to assist the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board. The $72,000 is requested for nondiscretionary cost increases including $68,000 for GSA space rental and $4,000 for annualization of pay increases effective in 1978. This concludes my statement for the Office of the Secretary, Mr. Chairman. I will be glad to answer any questions that the committee may have. RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND TEACHING Senator EAGLETON. Dr. Wallace, what is the interrelationship, if any, of the Office of Research, Extension and Teaching, with the Agricultural Research Service? What goes on in the Office of Research, which is assigned to the Secretary, that is distinct or different from what is being done or should be done in the Agricultural Research Service? Dr. WALLACE. In connection with the new agency called the Science and Education Administration, which is a reorganization of a number of agencies including the Agricultural Research Service, and also as a part of the 1977 farm bill, some advisory committees have been created. One advisory committee is a committee which is interagency, composed of top level research administrators mostly from the Federal Government, known as the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences. Another advisory committee or board is a users committee and is external to the Department. This is the National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board. These funds are requested to give staff support to these advisory committees. Section 1409 states: It is the intent of Congress in enacting this title to augment, coordinate and supplement the planning, initiation and conduct of agricultural research programs existing prior to the enactment of the title, except that it is not the intent of Congress in enacting this title to limit the authority to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under any act which the Secretary of HEW administers. These particular committees are, as I said, established as the coordinating function. Senator EAGLETON. So, there is a very close relationship, but for budgetary purposes, I take it- Dr. WALLACE. For budgetary purposes, they are included in the Office of the Secretary at this time Senator EAGLETON. Will this Office of Research, Extension and Teaching have the authority to make grants and awards, and if so, what amounts are you requesting for that process? Dr. WALLACE. I do not have the amounts available. They will be available through the testimony of Assistant Secretary Cutler when he testifies in relation to SEA, the new organization. Senator EAGLETON. We have had Dr. Cutler on the SEA, and he is going to supply some data. But, does your office make grants and awards in addition to what Dr. Cutler's office does? Dr. WALLACE. No, it is a coordinating function. It coordinates the agricultural research projects to insure timeliness and effectiveness, and it is supposed to eliminate duplication of research projects. It has to do with policy formulation. It will be keeping abreast of the developments and needs, but it will not be giving grants. It also is to provide several staff papers that will come from the Office of the Secretary under various titles that have been listed in the farm bill. INTERNATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION Senator EAGLETON. By the way, sometimes I wish you hadn't reorganized the Department, because I lose track of my alphabets. Is the new agency called SEA, Science and Education Administration, part of an in-house executive reorganization or was it required or created by statute in last year's farm bill? With regard to the $87,000 item to coordinate the activities of the Department in the area of international food and agriculture, hasn't the Department been involved in these activities before? Is this something new, and if so, why wasn't it done before? Dr. WALLACE. This really is in relation to the President's concern for human needs, and for the issues of food abroad, and here in this country. As you know, we have a number of agencies and a number of people involved in foreign agriculture and technical assistance. This particular office is to bring forward these programs and to be sure that there is less duplication. The office will also work with universities and other Federal agencies that give assistance abroad. Senator EAGLETON. Senator Burdick. [The complete statement of Dr. Wallace on the Office of the Secretary follows:] |