SOURCE: JK1140 .C5

   AUTHOR: Chartrand, Robert Lee, and Robert C. Ketcham

 DOCTITLE: Opportunities for the Use of Information Resources and Advanced

           Technologies in Congress: A Study

 SECTITLE: Opportunities for the Use of Information Resources and Advanced

           Technologies in Congress: A Study

     DATE: 1993

  SUBJECT: information technology legislative bodies administrative

           agencies information services United States

PUBLISHER: Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government

  DOCTYPE: Book

  TITLEID:

ISBN_ISSN:

     Text:





          OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE USE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES AND

                     ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN CONGRESS

                    A STUDY FOR THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON

                       THE ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS

                                     

                            A Consultant Report

                                     

                                     

                           Robert Lee Chartrand

                             Robert C. Ketcham

                                     

                                     

                               October 1993



                                 CONTENTS



         FOREWORD

         PREFACE

     1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE

     2.0 APPROACH

     3.0 ASSESSING CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION NEEDS

     4.0 CURRENT STATUS OF CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION SUPPORT



          4.1 Senate

          4.2 House of Representatives

          4.3 Library of Congress

          4.4 Architect of the Capitol

          4.5 Congressional Budget Office

          4.6 General Accounting Office

          4.7 Office of Technology Assessment

          4.8 Government Printing Office



     5.0 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS



          5.1 Immediate Action Items

          5.2 Near-Term Objectives

          5.3 Long-Term Goals



     6.0 CONCLUSION

     7.0 APPENDIXES



          7.1 Appendix A: Chronology of Key Actions Affecting Improved

              Congressional Information Support

          7.2 Appendix B: Acknowledgments

          7.3 Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Symposium Participants

          7.4 Appendix D: Selected Readings: Information Technology for

              Congress



     8.0 NOTES AND REFERENCES

     9.0 MEMBERS OF THE CARNEGIE COMMISSION ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND

         GOVERNMENT

     10.0 MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, CARNEGIE COMMISSION ON SCIENCE,

          TECHNOLOGY, AND GOVERNMENT



FOREWORD



The Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government was

established in 1988 to recommend improvements in the organization and

decision-making processes of government that would enable it to use and

develop scientific and technical knowledge more effectively. Within the

Commission, a special Committee on Science, Technology, and Congress,

chaired by former Member of Congress Dr. John Brademas, has looked

carefully at congressional operations. That Committee has worked closely

with key Members of the House and Senate interested in science and

technology.



The Commission has prepared three reports explicitly focusing on Congress.

The first report, published in 1991, examined the mechanisms by which

Congress receives and uses expert analysis and advice from sources outside

Congress. The second report, also published in 1991, explored the roles and

contributions to congressional decision making of four congressional

support agencies. The third report, to be published in November 1993,

offers specific recommendations for improving the way that Congress deals

with broad scientific and technological issues.



To augment these assessments, the Joint Committee on the Organization of

Congress asked the Commission to undertake a study of present and potential

uses of advanced information technologies by Congress for its own internal

purposes. The study was carried out by the team of Robert Lee Chartrand and

Robert C. Ketcham, and the resulting report offers a perceptive and timely

examination of this critical area.



Beginning with a description of technology-oriented activities in the

Senate, House of Representatives, and six support agencies -- Library of

Congress, Government Printing Office, General Accounting Office, Office of

Technology Assessment, Congressional Budget Office, and Office of the

Architect of the Capitol -- the report makes specific recommendations for

improving selected congressional information-related operations. These

proposed changes are classified as immediate action items, near-term

objectives, and long-term goals.



Congress must deal with enormous quantities of information that must be

categorized, configured, and used. This report proposes practical advances

in the use of information technology by Congress that will enable Members

to fulfill their legislative and dissemination responsibilities. We believe

that the findings and proposals outlined in this report will help Members

serve their constituents and the nation better.



                                        William T. Golden, Co-chair

                                        Joshua Lederberg, Co-chair



PREFACE



In writing a report about information resources and technology for

Congress, it is tempting to make the statement that Congress will conduct

its business in a vastly different way 20 years from now.



But such a conclusion does not hold up well, if past performance is

reflected in present reality. Congress by its nature, as the representative

branch of our constitutional government, is cautious about change; it views

the prospect of altering the manner in which it performs its day-to-day

tasks with some skepticism.



At the same time, Congress as an institution knows intuitively that the

information and time pressures caused by legislative crises and the clog of

schedules could be lessened. Members also recognize that improvements in

the process of obtaining and producing information used in the

consideration of legislation, and the conveying of information about the

proceedings -- from subcommittee action to final passage -- could assist

them and help the institution itself.



Our hope is that recommendations made in this report regarding the use of

advanced information technologies and related resources, and coordination

mechanisms, will facilitate good congressional decision making and allow

the institution to keep pace with ongoing technological developments.



In this report, we have chosen not to offer a picture of the "Congress of

the Future," with the endless possibilities of imagery from hand-held

personal voting devices to high-definition, voice-activated screens in each

Member's office replacing the TV, computer, and telephones.



Instead, we have preferred to listen to people on and off the Hill who have

participated in changes brought about by information technology over the

past quarter-century, and to those who have studied its consequences and

impacts. From our experience and this series of interviews, as well as from

the available literature, we have distilled what has been learned; our

purpose is to help the institution of Congress improve its own ways of

reviewing its operations and applying new information technology resources

to enhance its effectiveness.



Significant assistance was provided by several talented people who, on

short notice, sat with us during a two-day symposium on the "Opportunities

for the Use of Information Resources and Technology for Congress." Their

insights and knowledge have added immeasurably to the substance of this

report.



One of the topics discussed during the symposium focused on how the private

sector had melded advanced information technology within corporate

structures. Whereas vast private investments have been made over the past

decade in information technology, improvements in productivity have been

difficult to document until recently. In fact, just this year economists

and business leaders are pointing to evidence of a real technology payoff.

According to the June 14, 1993, issue of Business Week, an analysis by Erik

Bryjolfsson and Lorin Hitt of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's

Sloan School of Management indicates that the ". . . return on investment

in information systems averaged a stunning 54 percent for manufacturing

and 68 percent for all business surveyed. And perhaps most significant,

productivity gains aren't just coming from cost-cutting or cost avoidance:

the reengineered corporations are boosting their top lines, too." [1]



These dramatic results in the private sector are relevant in reviewing and

recommending how Congress can employ information resources and information

technology. They offer some guidance for areas where consolidations and

savings might be possible. At the same time, Congress and its committees,

Member offices, and support agencies must become comfortable with changes

in the performance of tasks caused by the use of new information resources

and technology. Thus, the balance we seek will enable Congress to be on the

cutting edge of technology when it chooses, and always to be positioned to

make deliberate and well-advised decisions on its use.



1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE



The purpose of our report is to recommend ways in which Congress can do its

job better. We believe that information resources and information

technology offer exciting opportunities that can help Congress to be more

effective in conducting its legislative role and to be better understood by

the public. Our goal is to promote improved access by the Member to

whatever relevant information will assist in the legislative process, a

process that requires problem solving, policy formulation, and decision

making. Accessible information resources can make it possible to find

timely data and relevant materials on any legislative topic quickly, as

well as providing the ability to communicate with fellow legislators,

constituents, and the public using the best available technology tailored

to the legislative mission. In the 23 years since the passage of the

Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-510), [2] many aspects of

the Federal legislative function have changed. While periodic chamber

initiatives -- such as the House Select Committee on Committees, the House

Commission on Administrative Review, and the Senate Temporary Select

Committee to Study the Senate Committee System -- identified candidate

improvements for certain activities, there was no collaborative effort to

address such matters until the Joint Committee on the Organization of

Congress was authorized by H. Con. Res. 192 in the 102nd Congress.



The Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government, whose

publications include an October 1991 report on Analysis and Advice from the

Congressional Support Agencies, [3] was invited by that Joint Committee to

look at opportunities for the use of information resources and technologies

by Congress.



This consultant study, which is the result of that invitation, encompasses

three areas:



     -    An overview of the information services currently available to

          Members and staff for use in the legislative process in the House

          and Senate and of who provides them.



     -    An identification of options to improve information support,

          based on an analysis of needs, organizational arrangements and

          functions, information resources, and technologies.



     -    Recommendations for a long-term approach that will enable

          congressional information resources and technologies to keep pace

          with changing requirements, including organizational and R&D

          facets.



2.0 APPROACH



The United States Congress, as composed of the House of Representatives and

Senate along with its six support agencies -- Library of Congress,

Government Printing Office, General Accounting Office, Office of Technology

Assessment, Congressional Budget Office, and Office of the Architect of the

Capitol -- possesses many unique organizational and functional

characteristics. The "information support" dimension has therefore been

examined with particular reference to the four arenas of congressional

activity and decision making: evaluating and producing legislation,

oversight, constituent service, and administrative responsibilities.



There is strong evidence in Congress of an institutional desire to improve

its mastery of the burgeoning world of information. The current "snapshot"

of congressional information-type activity reveals that approximately $150

million is expended annually on the Hill for various technology-oriented

systems and services. Nearly 20,000 computers are in use, ranging from

powerful mainframes to personal computers. There are six computer centers,

three of which are situated within the Senate, House, and Library of

Congress. A fiber-optic "backbone" network is nearing completion; this

network will connect all the critical congressional components in a way

that enhances interaction, both on Capitol Hill and through linkages to

state and district offices.



Its well-trained work force numbers thousands of specialists and computer-

literate staff personnel dedicated to generating, handling, and sharing a

wide range of information in narrative, statistical, and graphic form.

However, the existing services and systems often vary in form and by name

and reflect differing management styles. Further more, the overall Hill

capability may seem operative in a fragmented way, but the potential for

the evolutionary shaping of the hardware and software into an integrated,

standardized information support infrastructure is well within the

capability of Congress.



The consultant study took a multifaceted approach, allowing a view of

Congress as a whole, activity within each chamber, committee and

subcommittee functioning, and individual Member office activity. This was

accomplished through



     1.   Interviews with key congressional staff, including those

          responsible for managing and using technology-supported

          information systems. Included were examinations of their

          information needs, tasks to be performed, reliance on information

          services and networks, comprehension of the current use, and the

          potential of computers and telecommunications.



     2.   Organization of a two-day symposium on "Opportunities for the Use

          of Information Resources and Technologies for Congress." Eight

          experts participated in the symposium, and their written

          commentaries and recorded remarks were most useful.



     3.   Discussions with managers of technological support systems in

          selected state legislatures, where relevant information handling

          of applications, especially involving the utilization of advanced

          technologies, have been implemented.



     4.   A review of both relevant congressional documentation and the

          body of formal and nomadic literature prepared during the past

          quarter-century by Members of Congress, authors within the

          legislative and executive branches of the federal government,

          scholars, including political scientists and observers of

          societal developments, and technologists concerned with political

          and social evolution.



Time pressures on the Joint Committee limited the authors' opportunities to

meet with Members of Congress, so they have relied in large measure on

their own combined background of 46 years of Hill service. Work on the

report itself began as soon as practicable after the request by the Joint

Committee on the Organization of Congress to the Carnegie Commission on

Science, Technology, and Government, but did not commence until the middle

of April 1993.



This limited preparation time did not permit pursuing all aspects of a

thorough congressional information study, which would ordinarily include

the interaction between Congress and the executive branch and

recommendations for its improvement. A follow-on effort should be conducted

along these lines to include the formal reports requested by Congress of

different federal departments and agencies and an analysis of information

transfer between the executive and legislative branches of critical data

such as those exchanged between the OMB and the CBO.



The present report focuses on existing information resources (databases,

files, services), organizational functions (House Information Systems,

Senate Computer Center, individual Member offices), and technologies

employed (fiber-optic networks, microcomputers, personal computers, and

teleconferencing).



3.0 ASSESSING CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION NEEDS



As Congress commits human, physical, and financial resources in efforts to

address its needs for information, seven factors should be kept in mind:



     1.   The unique congressional environment as the most powerful and

          oldest democratic legislative body, reflected in the roles and

          responsibilities of the leaders of Congress, committee and

          subcommittee functioning, individual Member activities, and the

          kaleidoscopic tasks performed by the array of legislative staff,

          numerous officials, and support staff.



     2.   The fluctuating spectrum of information needs -- ever governed by

          the desired qualities of timeliness, accuracy, completeness, and

          relevance -- many of which are traditional but have grown in

          volume and complexity, and others unprecedented in the history

          and functioning of the Hill.



     3.   The human resources that comprise the legislative community --

          nearly 40,000 men and women of varied backgrounds, thousands of

          whom are significantly involved in technology-dependent

          information handling; there is a substantial yearly turnover of

          staff.



     4.   The organizations -- House Information Systems, the Senate

          Computer Center, and Library of Congress, for example -- tasked

          with furnishing computer, telecommunications, and other

          sophisticated technological support, some of which have clearly

          defined roles involving the generation, storage, processing, and

          dissemination of information in varied forms and formats, and

          others where voluntary cooperation (e.g., the Legislative Branch

          Telecommunications Network) is the modus operandi.



     5.   The continuing rapid emergence of technologies, which often seems

          about to overwhelm us, and which demands that each new

          development in hardware, software, systems, and networks be

          monitored and assessed in the light of institutional and

          individual needs for such support.



     6.   The applications of these information technologies -- such as

          facsimile, E-Mail, and satellite systems -- which grow

          inexorably, requiring decisions about whether congressional

          entities can benefit from their introduction and use, and how the

          balance is to be struck in financially underwriting the

          increasing host of information offerings.



     7.   The private sector information systems and services, and

          government services available (federal, state, local), that hold

          potential for utilization by Congress and that must be measured

          in terms of applicability, availability, and cost.



4.0 CURRENT STATUS OF CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION SUPPORT



Among the many questions and quandaries facing the Congress as it works

through the last decade of the 20th century, those related to its decision

making and the information basis for such action are of growing importance.

Most of these dilemmas are of long standing.



Two reflections on the longevity of such congressional process problems,

made nearly 30 years ago, warrant repetition. The first was contained in

the milestone Management Study of the U.S. Congress, prepared in 1965 by

Arthur D. Little, Inc., and featured in the NBC News special report called

Congress Needs Help: [4]



     Congress should develop an improved ability to test in

     advance the relative effectiveness of alternative courses

     of action. Cost-effective analysis has become a standard

     tool of American management. Because effectiveness must

     be measured in tangible results affecting people, it

     cannot be measured solely in accounting terms. What is

     needed is operations analysis, disclosing what people

     get from alternative expenditures of time, efforts and

     money.



At around the same time, in a 1966 volume entitled Congress: The First

Branch of Government, Professor Kenneth Janda pointed out that



     information systems are not . . . devices for grinding

     out policy decisions, and they are not designed to replace

     human judgment. Rather they are intended to provide the

     human decision maker -- here, the Congressman -- with

     knowledge for making informed choices. [5]



In the intervening years, as a professional cadre was assembled and tens of

millions of dollars were spent to bring suitable hardware and software to

the Hill, the protocols, practices, and processes followed by the federal

legislature in creating, handling, and disseminating key information

developed considerable overlap. Three major computer centers were

established -- in the Senate, House of Representatives, and Library of

Congress -- and continue to carry the burden of technology-supported

activity, although significant capabilities are also situated in the

Government Printing Office, General Accounting Office, Office of Technology

Assessment, and Congressional Budget Office, and with the Architect of the

Capitol.



Managers charged with developing up-to-date, responsive capabilities faced

priority challenges in seeking compatibility wherever possible, in

receiving appropriations, in the training and orientation of thousands of

Hill staff, and the integration of advanced information technologies into

long-established ways of doing business.



From 1969 to 1972, assiduous efforts were made, through Member and staff

interviews and surveys, to determine perceived information requirements.

These findings, reexamined in various ways over the years, have resulted in

products and services designed to fulfill a broad array of Member,

committee, and administrative needs.



With a clientele ranging from senior leadership figures, committee and

subcommittee chairmen, and individual Members to nearly 40,000 staff, the

establishment and maintenance of such information resources and services

required ever-growing legislative agency expenditures. For example, in

FY 1970 the reported budget for "computer expenditures" totaled $4,896,000;

by FY 1987, the amount had grown to $107,736,849. The FY 1994 total has

been estimated at more than $150 million. [6]



4.1 Senate



Beginning in 1970, with the establishment of a Subcommittee on Computer

Services, the United States Senate embarked on a course of action that has

led to computer and allied technologies becoming an integral part of its

legislative environment. Unlike the House of Representatives, where a

single authorized component -- the Committee on House Administration --

oversees all information systems development, the Senate has divided

responsibility among three entities:



     -    The Committee on Rules and Administration -- among the

          responsibilities set forth in the official "Guidelines" is its

          "authority concerning policy, organization, initiation,

          implementation, operation and evaluation of all matters concerned

          with information processing and communications as they relate to

          mechanization, automation, computerization, or related

          functions." [7]



     -    The Sergeant at Arms -- under whose aegis operates the Senate

          Computer Center that contains the centralized equipment

          configuration and 200-person staff which performs an array of

          technology-supported tasks (e.g., addressing and mailing,

          indexing for better managing office correspondence).



     -    The Secretary of the Senate -- responsible for a number of

          essential support functions involving the application of

          information technology, such as Disbursing Office activities,

          recordkeeping, committee schedule coordination, and the printing

          of the Congressional Record, bills, and reports.



The primary machine resources serving the United States Senate include a

single mainframe computer (Amdahl 5995-790A) in the Senate Computer Center,

now relocated to the Postal Square Building, plus a host of microcomputers

now numbering over 6,500. These are located in leadership, committee/

subcommittee, and individual Senate offices on Capitol Hill, as well as in

Senators' state offices. Most of the aging minicomputer systems installed

nearly a decade ago are in the process of being upgraded or replaced with

PC-based LAN (Local Area Network) technology.



In cooperation with the Architect of the Capitol and other legislative

agencies, a long-distance telephone system was installed by MCI in 1992.

The system load reportedly was 230,000 calls (average) for every day of the

year in 1990. New secure phones, an expanded facsimile capability, and a

fiber-optic network in committee hearing rooms were among other recent

improvements. The Senate Recording Studio capability has been significantly

enhanced and videotaping of Senate floor activities has achieved an

operational status. Commercial information service arrangements have been

streamlined for the 113 participating offices, and constituent

correspondence systems activities, along with the Senate Mail System,

continue to be improved. Finally, the Senate Data Communications Network

was completed late in 1992, and links all Senate offices in Washington,

D.C. and those in the 50 states.



4.2 House Of Representatives



All information technology activities serving the House of Representatives

are carried out by the 250-person House Information Systems (H.I.S.)

office, operating in accordance with guidance and authorization from the

Committee on House Administration. With a current community of 11,000

registered users employing PC units and other terminal devices, the array

of initiatives required of H.I.S. has been sizable. The H.I.S. Computer

Center, which features an IBM ES9000/620 mainframe, is called upon to

support a range of diverse services designed to meet the diverse needs of

the House leadership, as well as those of many dozens of committees and

subcommittees. H.I.S. is licensed by the U.S. Postal Service to provide

National Change of Address processing for Members' mail, thereby minimizing

postage losses from incorrect addresses.



Corollary to these support functions are those essential services performed

for individual Member offices. Of particular value to that user community

is the Member Information Network, with 100 databases on-line, which

furnishes (as shown in Figure 1 [8]) an array of news services (such as

Associated Press and Reuters), many types of legislative information (e.g.,

status of bills and resolutions, floor proceedings, Congressional Record,

Federal Register), federal funding statistics, plus valuable mail-oriented

and administrative material. The H.I.S. staff must always be assessing --

much like its Senate and Library of Congress counterparts -- which new

developments in information technology can be adapted to various clients'

needs. A small pilot program, "Constituent Electronic Mail System," has

been announced, thereby adding another dimension to the value of E-Mail for

House entities. Also, a House-wide E-Mail facility has been implemented

already, connecting offices to the X400 and INTERNET systems. In addition,

H.I.S. can provide FAX "gateways." This capability, when combined with the

House Wide Area Data Communications Network (featuring digital technology),

will offer several choices for connecting District offices and Washington-

based systems, as well as linkages with external information services.



FIGURE 1:



4.3 Library Of Congress



The third focus of heavy information technology activity is located in the

Library of Congress which possesses a large mainframe (Amdahl 700A)

configuration, plus a host of PC and less sophisticated terminal units. The

substantive information handled in the Library of Congress center is

prepared, processed, and made available by the Congressional Research

Service (CRS). This primary source for fulfilling a vast spectrum of

research and reference requirements commenced utilizing automatic data

processing in 1967. Today, 35 files are served by the SCORPIO (Subject

Content Oriented Retriever for Processing Information Online) retrieval

language. Among the valuable information featured in this system are the

content and status of current proposed legislation (and legislation from as

far back as the 93rd Congress), nearly a half-million bibliographic

citations drawn from more than 6,000 periodical titles -- a Selective

Dissemination of Information (SDI) service allows Hill users to "profile"

their continuing needs -- and the widely-used Issue Briefs which are

frequently updated to indicate current happenings and trends. In addition,

CRS prepares both audio briefs and special video programs on topics of high

congressional interest.



CRS also offers users on-line assistance through a "HELP" capability.

Automated workstations located in the CRS Reference Centers in

congressional buildings facilitate rapid access to a wide range of research

and reference material. The optical disk system developed by the Library

now is operative in a production mode, featuring access to the full text of

a public policy literature file. Retrieval from selected external files

such as NEXIS, WESTLAW, and LEGISLATE allows the 800-person staff to handle

more than 600,000 research and reference requests annually. As a

participant in LBTN, Jeffrey Griffith heads its Subcommittee on Data

Exchange. Now a node on INTERNET, selected Library of Congress files are

available on-line to public users.



4.4 Architect Of The Capitol



Beginning in 1987, a major effort was initiated under the aegis of the

Architect of the Capitol (AOC) and coordinated by Dan Hanlon, to fulfill an

acknowledged "need for connectivity." A Legislative Branch

Telecommunications Network (LBTN) team was formed -- involving the Senate,

House, Library of Congress, CBO, GAO, GPO, OTA, and Architect of the

Capitol's Office -- with two working groups: "Standards" (chaired by Hamish

Murray, Director of H.I.S.) and "Applications" (chaired by Robert Harris,

Director, Information Systems and Technology, Senate Committee on Rules and

Administration). Featured have been the development of an architectural

design for a data (fiber-based) network, called "CAPNET," and a common

services procurement (CSP) for a wide-area voice system. Figure 2 [9] shows

the general configuration of this telecommunications capability.



FIGURE 2: General configuration of Capnet routers.



Operating on a "federation of cooperation" basis, the CAPNET constituency

can not only interact with its membership, but is also anticipated to link

with participants on INTERNET. Wide-area long distance telephone capability

needs led to a cost-effective "common services" arrangement with MCI. In

support of the videoconferencing initiative by the House Committee on

Science, Space, and Technology, financing was arranged for the GAO "pilot"

installation by the AOC. Video Teleconferencing (VTC) rooms have been

equipped in the House of Representatives with "rollabout equipment." Also

available through the AOC is an excellent CAD (Computer Assisted Design)

capability able to provide descriptive information (e.g., new Member office

layout).



4.5 Congressional Budget Office



The role and responsibilities of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) --

the source for critical "cost estimates" and budget-oriented background

papers -- have required increasing dependence on electronic technology.

Since its creation in 1975, CBO has developed a broad spectrum of budget

and economic analyses, both in support of the House Committees on the

Budget and Appropriations and internal CBO functions. These systems feature

operating programs that focus on congressional revenue and spending actions

(scorekeeping); five-year bill cost estimates; outlay estimates for bills

providing new budget authority; state and local government costs related to

federal legislation; economic forecasting, and alternative fiscal policy

analysis; and other prevailing budget issues.



The CBO staff of 200 professionals has access to four major types of

microcomputer configurations (which total 250 units): 1) the "analyst

workstation," used for word processing, electronic spreadsheets, and

economic modeling; 2) the "communications workstation" which can interact

with other computers; 3) an "applications-specific workstation" which

allows selected mainframe tasks to be "migrated" to less costly

microcomputer processing; and 4) local area networks (LANs) used to share

information (data and messages), peripherals, programs, and to access

regional and wide-area networks.



CBO participates in the LBTN, where Daniel Zimmerman heads its Subcommittee

on Electronic Mail. It also uses the Capitol Hill Network (CAPNET), a fiber

optic transport system, for mail and other application-oriented tasks. For

example, CAPNET is now used to access databases running on the H.I.S.

mainframe. CBO researchers use a variety of public, commercial, and

governmental electronic information resources. These include the INTERNET

(government/commercial); Wharton Econometrics Forecasting Associates, Data

Resources, Inc. (commercial); and H.I.S., Department of Treasury, and

Department of Health and Human Services (government). In the future, CAPNET

will allow staff to review a wide range of information stored on optical

disk at the Library of Congress. FAX, "electronic bulletin boards," CD-ROM,

and other related technologies are used, when practical, to transmit and

disseminate CBO products.



4.6 General Accounting Office



In fulfilling its traditional "watchdog" function, the General Accounting

Office (GAO) created in 1985 an Office of Information Resources Management,

which serves as the focal point for such functions as records management,

library services, printing and publications, local and wide-area networks,

telephone systems, videoconferencing, and desktop computing. Microcomputers

are as indispensable today as calculators were 15 years ago. Recent

initiatives include a new assignment tracking system which helps follow

work progress and emphasizes key decision points, and a "pilot" for a wide-

area network to improve the GAO assignment process which holds the

potential for geographically dispersed staff to better respond to

congressional information needs.



The agency communications capability has been enhanced -- in cooperation

with the Architect of the Capitol -- through the upgrading of telephone

services, and a series of pilot tests have been conducted between

headquarters and four regional offices. The telephone service upgrading

provides compatibility with other legislative branch agencies,

significantly reduces costs, and offers new features such as voice

messaging and teleconferencing. On the administrative side, automation

improvements include consolidation of payroll, personnel, time and

attendance, assignment management, and supply information systems which are

now being operated by the Department of Agriculture's National Finance

Center. Finally, a new financial management package was implemented which

meets the accounting principles and standards GAO promulgates for the rest

of the federal government.



4.7 Office Of Technology Assessment



Established in 1972, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) realized

early the criticality of employing modern information technology in support

of its in-depth, long-term research projects for Congress. In the past five

years, a system of personal computers has been in use by all OTA staff for

word processing and electronic mail over a fully integrated local area

network. Many staff also use microcomputers for database management,

project scheduling, and financial or performance tracking, while a rapidly

growing percentage uses these devices for external communications via

INTERNET and commercial or not-for-profit electronic mail services. OTA

also has on-line access to H.I.S. and is participating in the development

of CAPNET. Report drafts are now created, revised, and finalized in

electronic formats, then provided on diskettes (or transmitted via the LAN)

to the OTA Publishing Office, where the documents are electronically

composed prior to printing.



Use is made by many OTA staff of high-capacity CD-ROM bibliographic

databases for reference searches, utilizing the OTA Information Center

facilities. The agency is experimenting with FAX "gateways" (the ability to

use the LAN for sending and receiving FAX messages from individual

workstations), and computer conferencing as a mechanism for convening

"electronic workshops." In the planning stage is the broader use of

computer bulletin boards that would allow wider public access to OTA-

delivered products.



4.8 Government Printing Office



The information resources management activities of the Government Printing

Office (GPO) are carried out by four principal entities: the Office of

Information Resources Management (OIRM), Production Department, Printing

Procurement Department, and Superintendent of Documents.



In supporting the day-to-day business functions of GPO -- such as inventory

control and work-in-plant tracking -- the OIRM utilizes an Amdahl 5880

mainframe with 1,300 terminals connecting it to both local and 20 regional

offices, as well as a Banyan Vines local area network with 350 computers

sharing common software, mainframe access, and E-Mail.



Within the Production Department, a substantial amount of electronic

information technology is used in its Electronic Photocomposition Division,

where 500 employees perform an array of operations required for

photocomposition of congressional and agency publications. Input

information is collected in various ways, including on-line access, via

fiber-optic links or laser beam transmissions, or on floppy disks and

magnetic tapes. Meanwhile, the Graphic Systems Development Division

designs, develops, and integrates automated systems into the production of

publications. The recently passed GPO Electronic Information Access

Enhancement Act of 1993 requires GPO to make the Congressional Record and

Federal Register available online. This group also is responsible for

several operating systems, networks, and software, including the VAX system

which supports such users as the Congressional Record Index Office, the

Senate and House Offices of Legislative Counsel, and the Office of the

Federal Register. The third key action group is the Electronic Systems

Development Division which provides requisite in-house hardware

installation and support, and installs equipment electronically linking

congressional and agency offices to GPO's publications production

operations.



The Printing Procurement Department contracts for integrated electronic

printing and publishing systems, and other electronic formats (e.g., CD-

ROM). Distribution of government publications falls within the aegis of the

Superintendent of Documents, through sales to the public and the network of

depository libraries. In 1992, 236 different CD-ROM and diskette products

were available, in addition to magnetic tape offerings. Its new electronic

Federal Bulletin Board offers 600 files for self-service, on-line public

access.



5.0 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS



5.1 Immediate Action Items



     1.   Bill Text and Amendment Availability



Improvement of information support on the floor of the chamber,

particularly during pre-voting periods, has been a desire often enunciated

by Members. Lack of up-to-the-minute information on bill contents and/or

amendments reportedly has been a deterrent to thoughtful, responsive vote

casting. The need for additional monitors -- functioning as "electronic

bulletin boards" -- carrying essential, succinct summaries of the bills and

pending amendments up for action prompts a recommendation for their

strategic placement in off-the-rail areas or in the cloakrooms. Hard copies

of voting- or debate-related material should be available in the chamber as

well, through manned high-speed printers and associated copying devices.



     2.   Remote Floor Action Monitors



Display monitors for use by Members and staff should be located in

committee chambers or other meeting rooms, key hallways, or at subway

portals to facilitate tracking of floor action. Also, augmenting these

passive presentation units should be special "kiosks," in accessible

locations on the Hill, which furnish information updates, no more than two

to three minutes old, reflecting ongoing chamber proceedings in paper or

electronic form. Special wiring needs for any candidate meeting rooms

should be studied, and implementation plans prepared.



     3.   Verbatim Transcript Utilization



The use of "verbatim transcripts" to contain hearings or other committee/

subcommittee activity should be expanded on a trial basis in a number of

acquiescing committees or subcommittees. A favorable precedent for such

handling of recorded action is found in the House Committee on Science,

Space, and Technology, which established this modus operandi several years

ago. Although a few demurs had been voiced, the improved processing of the

record has proved both beneficial and popular among the Members. The

accuracy of the proceedings, when combined with the rapid, unabridged

availability of the procedural record and witness statements, has resulted

in this form of coverage being fully accepted.



     4.   Alternative Meeting Formats



At a time when multimedia technology affords a range of opportunities --

e.g., videoconferencing -- for utilizing and presenting a wide spectrum of

narrative, graphic, and statistical data, the Congress is now positioned to

take full advantage of such offerings in its decision making role. At this

juncture, the importance of identifying and exploring alternative meeting

formats -- in lieu of hearings and mark-up sessions, for example -- is

recognized and worthy of immediate response. Diverse resources exist both

on Capitol Hill and elsewhere which can provide a richness of factual and

interpretive material in such optional operating conditions. Photographic

and other dynamic graphic forms have been developed in the public and

private sectors, including high-resolution optical disk storage systems

such as those at the Library of Congress. Special videobriefs, selectively

prepared by the Congressional Research Service, and comparable documentary

products from commercial sources, can present dimensions of a topic or

event seldom available in the past for Member or staff use.



Discussion



One focal area of proven value, and achievable within a legislative

setting, is that of video teleconferencing. An early experiment in this

realm (in 1977-1978), called "Opening Congress to the People," featured a

series of 12 such events ranging from the Senate Subcommittee on Science,

Technology and Space receiving testimony from public witnesses in

Springfield, Illinois, to faculty and students in a North Carolina

schoolhouse talking with Congressman Rose (see Figure 3 [10]). The reaction

to this experiment was most favorable. In the late 1980s, the House

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology undertook an innovative project

in conjunction with ABC called "Capital to Capital." This Emmy Award-

winning effort transcended problems of time zones, cultures, and language

to link participants in a congressional hearing room with those in the

Soviet Union. More recently (1992), the Committee scheduled similar

technology-supported hearings involving interaction with Department of

Energy laboratory directors, Boeing Corporation executives in Washington

State, and finally two hectic days with scientists and technologists in

Moscow. In July 1993, a Science, Space, and Technology videoconference was

held with European Community parliament members. Numerous problems -- both

technical and otherwise -- were overcome, and adjustments made, with

satisfying results. Previously, the Committee on House Administration

approved the purchase of Video Teleconferencing (VTC) equipment and the

wiring of six committee rooms. Now is the time when this approach to group

interaction deserves further exploitation, and existing legislative

capabilities (e.g., within GAO and H.I.S.) could be formed into

multidisciplinary, quick response ("SWAT") teams to render the necessary

sophisticated human support in shaping this type of innovative capability.

Furtherance of this technology-oriented initiative by both chambers is

merited.



FIGURE 3: April 15, 1977 videoconference between Representative Charlie

Rose in Washington, D.C., and Hoke County High School students in Raeford,

North Carolina.



     5.   CD-ROM Technology Potential



The often bewildering capabilities represented by cascading advanced

information technologies -- such as optical disks, electronic

configurations, and microform systems -- sometimes are difficult to keep

track of and to assess, but the advent of the CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read

Only Memory) has had its own unique impact. Among the uses already proven

effective is placement of the Congressional Record in this storage medium

with a 10:1 cost savings ratio. Similarly, the U.S. Code is now available

on CD-ROM for a price of $34.00. Committee and subcommittee proceedings

typify action areas where this technology would warrant implementation,

with probable savings. Many other types of information lend themselves to,

and warrant the use of, this inexpensive, accepted form of information

storage. It is recommended that all legislative agencies prepare a listing

of candidate files, databases, and products for transfer to this medium,

and work with H.I.S. and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

to develop feasible applications. Concurrently, any indexing ramifications

should be noted, in order to ensure retention of the subject information's

optimal worth.



     6.   CBO Cost Estimates Availability



One of the most sought after categories of needed committee information

emanating from within the legislative branch is the timely CBO "cost

estimate." Legislative committee reports are dependent on these. Finding

itself at the vortex of fiscal and budgetary data either originated at OMB

or internally, CBO must operate in a high-pressure data preparation and

dissemination environment. As "electronic bulletin boards" are coming

increasingly into vogue, this means of distribution offers a pragmatic

mechanism for ensuring user access to CBO products. Even as its researchers

may utilize CRS files stored on optical disks, CBO in turn can employ high-

speed data links (often through H.I.S.) to its clientele, or may send

advance copies via FAX. Backup reports are produced and, like the more

condensed estimates, increasingly are in non-paper form. Increasing the

availability of these cost estimates, in electronic form, should enjoy the

highest immediate action priority.



5.2 Near-Term Objectives



5.2.1 Joint Committee on Information Technology and Resources



Finding



The U.S. Congress does not presently have any formal coordination procedure

or process for resolving management or organizational needs for information

and information technology issues common to the two Houses and their

support agencies.



Finding



The actions taken by the responsible congressional administrative staff

offices to oversee the purchase and installation of the fiber-optic

backbone for the U.S. Capitol complex demonstrates that cooperative

informal efforts can achieve positive results. In the instant case, the

Architect of the Capitol has successfully implemented a helpful model in

the form of the Legislative Branch Technology Network, at the instigation

of the Legislative Branch Appropriations subcommittees of the House and

Senate.



Finding



Policy issues surround the implementation of new information technologies

and involve a range of decisions, from public access to databases developed

with federal funds, and the security of congressionally developed

legislative data, to the requirements for uniformity in the indexing,

storage, and retrieval of all federally funded information. These topics

involve a depth of understanding found within the jurisdiction of House and

Senate committees for administration, the judiciary, and operations of the

government.



Finding



The standards and protocols to guide congressional information managers

will need regular review and upgrading as the Congress seeks to take

advantage of such opportunities as multi-media technologies, networking

technology and software, teleconferencing, and access to federally

developed data as well as privately produced information resources.



Recommendation



We recommend that the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress

propose a new Joint Committee on Information Technology and Resources. This

new committee would assume the jurisdiction of two existing Joint

Committees, the Joint Committee on the Library and the Joint Committee on

Printing, which would then be abolished. It would also be given authority

to establish standards and applications policies for all of the Congress

and its support agencies for information technologies, including

telecommunications, electronic files and indexing, and publishing.



The new Joint Committee should be jointly funded, and draw its membership

principally from the House Administration and Senate Rules and

Administration Committees. It is also recommended that four other

committees, the House Government Operations Committee and Senate Government

Affairs Committee, and the Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary

should each have representation on the Joint Committee. This recommendation

is based on the scope and type of policy issues which will come up for

decision: those involving federal government information and technology

resources, and those involving intellectual and property rights, and

legislative privilege and privacy, to name a few.



The Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress will have to determine

the appropriate membership numbers and whether the suggestion of service by

Members familiar with government operations and judiciary matters should be

included. We would suggest that the Joint Committee membership perhaps

should be limited to no more than nine members to facilitate decision

making when required, and to limit the perception that a new power-base is

being created.



Moreover, if the Legislative Branch Information Technology Network (LBITN)

discussed in the third Near-term Goal recommendation is performing its

coordinating role, the implementation of agreed-upon information objectives

for the Congress and its support agencies will move forward. Nevertheless,

that staff, no matter how technically competent or professional, cannot

make key policy decisions, particularly when the proposed decision affects

more than one house of the Congress or more than one support agency. The

recommended Joint Committee on Information Technology and Resources will be

able to fulfill such a role.



Discussion



The purpose of this recommendation is to create a new institutional

responsibility within Congress which has the mission of deciding on the

policy issues which arise as information is developed, processed, and

disseminated in the electronic age. Although lip service is paid time and

time again to the importance of an informed electorate, overseeing the task

of developing, processing, and producing information is not an activity

normally relished by political leaders. The appropriate introduction and

coordination of new technologies and information processes can greatly

improve the ability of Congress to perform its legislative, oversight, and

administrative functions.



The policy issues which are raised by new information technology and

information practices affect the specialized areas of law which deal with

matters such as privacy and copyright. However, we must emphasize that they

are of profound importance in the public perception and understanding of

the ability of the legislative branch to do its job.



The new Joint Committee will be given the jurisdiction of serving as the

institutional device to keep the congressional leadership apprised of the

advantages and consequences of new information uses and technology, to the

extent they can be articulated.



The new Joint Committee would assume the jurisdictions of the two former

Joint Committees to include proposals concerning the management and

expansion of the Library of Congress and public printing, binding, and

distribution of Government publications and the Congressional Record. Some

of its new responsibilities would include setting standards and application

practices for information and information technology directly related to

Congress, which would include privacy, copyright, indexing of federally

developed data bases, and other government operations which would arise.

The Joint Committee would oversee the security of information systems,

disaster backup, and the use of in-house versus outside systems and

services. Additionally, it would serve to locate new candidate

technologies, in conjunction with responsible Senate, House, and support

agency units charged with R&D responsibilities. Finally, it could be given

jurisdiction to oversee compliance by the several congressional information

centers with integrating mechanisms such as Local Area Networks and E-mail.



5.2.2 Electronic Upgrading of Floor Proceedings



Finding



The House and Senate chambers function very much as they did before the

electronic age, with the exception of electronic voting in the House, audio

status recording of anticipated and current floor activity, and installed

FAX links to send text between the rostrum and legislative operations in

the House, a limited copying capability, and C-Span coverage of chamber

activity.



Finding



Member access to scheduled legislation is limited to printed copies of

bills and the accompanying committee report or reports. These printed

materials are generally available ahead of time, but are not so accessible

late in the session, or when time pressures rush or alter the regular

scheduling of legislation.



Finding



Committees who are handling their reported legislation on the floor do not

have access to proposed amendments unless a requirement has been

established prior to floor consideration by the Rules Committee in the

House, or by prior agreement in the Senate. Members are often required to

cast their votes on a floor amendment without ever viewing the text of the

amendment. In addition to the lack of prior notification, no agreed upon

format is required for amendments which are offered, except where events

prior to floor consideration cause such a stipulation.



Finding



Both House and Senate committees, and the legislative counsel of each

chamber, utilize electronic means for producing bills and reports.

Subsequent to floor action and enrolling, electronic means are again

employed by the Government Printing Office. Nevertheless, the processing of

legislation on the floor, including amendments and the enrolling and

engrossment of enacted legislation, is performed in a paper format.



Finding



Several state legislatures have been active in applying information

technology and resources to conduct legislative business in their chambers.

The result is that today's state legislatures -- such as Florida, North

Carolina, Oregon, and Washington, just to name a few -- are sophisticated

users of high technology, especially when compared in certain application

areas with the more antiquated practices found in Congress.



Recommendation



The House and Senate should each set a goal of the beginning of the 105th

Congress to have the installed capability to conduct its legislative

business on the floor in electronic form, to include floor amendments. This

capability must also provide printed copies on demand, which will continue

to be a requirement for the foreseeable future. Careful study and review of

the appropriate location and facade of viewing screens and related

equipment would be needed to preserve the dignity and decorum of each

chamber, and the leadership of each house should appoint a special joint

task force to assist in this endeavor.



It is also recommended that the experiences of several states which utilize

information technology in the legislative floor process be assessed, such

as Florida and Washington. As part of the task force review,

recommendations should also be made of how best to undertake pilot work in

the near future and utilize graphic material, which can be of significant

aid during legislative debate.



Discussion



The electronic age has already been of great benefit for some aspects of

the legislative process itself. For example, the production of large bills

and reports has been greatly facilitated because they are processed in a

digital format, and text can be provided from a computer disk so that it

does not have to be retyped with the possibility of newly introduced

errors. Materials resulting from large conference committees' functioning

or the budget reconciliation process itself are difficult to imagine

without the use of word processing capability. However, the packaging of

large bills raises the chance of errors at the time of enactment and, at

the same time, reduces the ability of the Member who must cast his or her

vote to know what is in the package.



Moreover, the processing of legislation on the floor, including amendments

and the enrolling and engrossment of enacted legislation, continues to be

performed in a paper format. The utility of our recommendation would be to

reduce the opportunity for errors by keeping the product in its electronic

form while offering the Members handling the legislation, or interested in

tracking, instant access at any stage of the process to a paper copy or

screen display.



In the Florida legislature each Member has a terminal at his or her seat,

which not only displays the pending amendment and a Ramseyer equivalent

depicting proposed changes to existing law, but can also be used to

communicate to other members in the chamber. Increasingly the U.S. House

and Senate will consist of elected members who have served in the so-called

"farm clubs" of the state legislatures and used these technologies in their

prior legislative work.



Use of information technology offers Members a way to keep on top of what

is happening, while at the same time improving the legislative product

itself. The latter statement is true since by retaining the legislative

language in electronic format there will be less chance for error. In

addition, linkages to the legislative counsels and their databases will be

facilitated, and with instant Ramseyer techniques to assess the impact and

accuracy of any proposed language, a more workmanlike product will ensue.



5.2.3 Establish a Legislative Branch Information Technology Network (LBITN)



Finding



The recognized need by the House Legislative Branch Appropriations

Subcommittee in 1986 to plan and coordinate congressional

telecommunications resources for the legislative support agencies has

produced a working model for cooperation and collaboration -- the

Legislative Branch Telecommunications Network (LBTN) -- in the development

of shared resources, in this instance, advanced telecommunications

networking.



Finding



The activities and accomplishments of the LBTN have been impressive in

overcoming the traditional obstacles encountered between congressional

support agencies and House and Senate information management offices, each

with its own center of power, but with some overlap. The success of the

LBTN can be shared by the Architect of the Capitol along with all those in

a support role with telecommunications responsibility. The LBTN has made it

possible for them to work together in a spirit of cooperation and

collaboration to provide better telecommunications service to the Congress.



Finding



Because of the successful implementation of the fiber-optic backbone

referred to as the Capital Network (CAPNET), several issues have emerged

such as management of the shared resources, and division of responsibility

among the support groups -- often called "zones of responsibility."



Finding



The stated objective on the Hill of reducing legislative branch

appropriations by as much as one-fourth over four years is real. To carry

out such a drastic reduction without doing irreparable damage to the

institution itself, collaboration and cooperation between all of the

congressional information agencies and offices will be required more than

ever. Without it, unforeseen consequences and setbacks will occur in

sustaining and improving the access to information available for the

deliberative process.



Finding



The proposed reduction of legislative appropriations necessarily focuses

attention on another vital information support situation: whether there is

a continuing need for six computer centers to support the Hill. Some

private and public sector experiences may be directly applicable, such as

the experiences of the Sun Microsystems when it elected to get rid of its

mainframes and go to distributed computing, and when the state of North

Carolina went from five major computing centers to one unified computing

center.



Recommendation



It is recommended that the LBTN be upgraded to serve as the Legislative

Branch Information Technology Network (LBITN) so that it can begin to work

on efficient, cost-effective solutions to the stated objective of reduced

appropriations. It is further recommended that the issue of consolidation

of services, such as centralized processing should be considered early on,

as well as the out-sourcing of mainframe processing (i.e., turning to a

commercial firm for computer services).



The goal of the new LBITN should be to collaborate on an agreed upon

central set of functions for the individual agencies and centers. The

second goal of the new networking group would be to seek cooperation in

improving the efficiency and interactivity of the legislative support

agencies and offices by reducing redundancy and building on the strengths

of each agency.



Discussion



It is not recommended that consolidation be a code word for eliminating all

duplication, or for eliminating centers in the House and Senate. Based on

what has already been learned from private and public sector downsizing,

very respectable cost savings can be made. During our Symposium we learned

that the centralization of some of the functions of network management can

bring about a better use of resources, and as M. Glenn Newkirk, Director,

Legislative Automated Systems Division, North Carolina General Assembly

said, ". . . people are simply going to realize it's too expensive not to

do it." However, some agency duplication should be retained to offer keen

competition for services which will tend to keep the quality of the product

high and costs down.



The Capitol complex has approximately 20,000 desk top computers, and six

computer centers. In addition, the Government Printing Office has direct

linkages to the House and Senate Legislative Counsels and the Law Revision

Counsel, each of which has substantial computing capacity.



There are several management functions which have to occur in any

institution, such as making sure the electricity is flowing, that there are

backups, as well as security, and requisite archiving and retention

functions. Sun Microsystems management model for distributed computing was

discussed during our Symposium. Sun has 24,000 computers around the world,

and they are all now managed by having the data storage facilities

centrally located, with backup, and with essentials such as air

conditioning and fire control. Microsoft is another company which is ". . .

pushing distributed computing as hard as they can," according to Alan

Paller, Director of Technology Strategy, Computer Associates International.



The International Standards Organization (ISO) has produced a model for

management which is referred to as the "extended data center." That

organization believes that to successfully implement distributed computing,

several management systems are required: fault management, capacity

planning and management, accounting management, security management, and

performance management.



These examples and statements will serve as guidance for the pressing needs

of the Capitol complex that must be addressed by a collaborative group like

the proposed LBITN. This effort should be formalized as soon as practicable

if efficiency and economy of information technology resources are to be

sustained when budgets are extremely tight and being reduced. This

important work to be undertaken by the LBITN will be painful and difficult,

but it is far better than the alternative of being told what to do without

calculated planning and a full understanding of the consequences.



Such work can build on the cooperation and collaborative spirit started by

the LBTN so that the players who have a direct stake in the outcome can

produce a plan that will work even when their collective budgets are being

cut. The alternative is far worse: to either be told what each agency

bottom line will be without coordination, or to be told externally how to

take cuts in personnel and from equipment. This pragmatic action option

should strengthen the desire to achieve collaboration when the alternative

is so drastic.



5.2.4 Training and Orientation



Finding



Acquainting the Members and staff personnel of the Congress with the

characteristics and multiple applications of advanced information

technology is a never-ending task. The turnover rate, estimated at 35

percent, demands easy, simple-to-use information products and services. The

importance of orienting and educating the congressional community -- using

a spectrum of tools and techniques such as films, brochures, on-line

demonstrations, briefings, and more traditional products -- is critical to

the degree of success which may be achieved within the expanding technology-

dependent workplace. One focus of activity deals with the teaching of

special skills, ranging from data input and manipulation to familiarity

with multiple databases and programs, whether originating internally or

elsewhere. The second area of concentration revolves around the large

number of committee/subcommittee and individual Member office staff who

must be computer literate and able to employ such devices to their

purposes.



Finding



Awareness and evaluation of the effectiveness of training and orientation

opportunities, made available by such Hill entities as House Information

Systems, the Senate Computer Center, or the Congressional Research Service,

or external organizations, are somewhat haphazard. Coordination of

publicity about these on-going services to staff, as well as occasional

special offerings for Members -- such as the new Member orientation program

-- requires assigned responsibility and monitoring by a special oversight

group. Every possible outreach mechanism is a candidate for such action,

including newsletters, mention in Hill-oriented publications, and via

electronic bulletin boards.



Finding



Staying abreast of the continually changing world of sophisticated

information technology -- computers, facsimile and electronic mail systems,

microforms, telecommunications -- defies most individual attempts to stay

current. Not only must cognizant personnel at the operative level strive to

learn the latest upgrades in software or hardware "bells and whistles," but

they must try to know something of the burgeoning number of services which

offer thousands of on-line databases. Special user groups on the Hill which

have evolved represent a very special resource for advice and attention to

priorities as seen from the working level. Aside from reading trade

journals, science and technology writings in the popular press, and

occasional television documentaries, the diligent congressional staffer

would benefit from a central source for listings of such (regularly

updated) information.



Recommendation



We recommend that serious consideration be given to the establishment of a

staff-level Task Force on Orientation and Training, comprised of select,

qualified personnel from the Senate, House, and support agencies. Among its

areas of concern are several candidate projects and programs:



     1.   The creation of an information "clearinghouse" required to

          maintain timely information on organizations responsible for

          information-technology workshops, fora, seminars, conferences,

          symposia, briefings, demonstrations, and tours with a discernible

          potential for congressional personnel.



     2.   Determination of the utility of having an automated file, with

          ready, on-line access across the congressional community, on key

          facts and figures available either for ad hoc requests or on a

          regular periodic basis as guided by automated user "profiles"

          (e.g., the Selective Dissemination of Information Service

          provided by CRS).



     3.   A study should be made of the responsibility of the H.I.S.,

          Senate Computer Center, and CRS and other support agencies for

          the purchase and/or development of software which can facilitate

          the use of straightforward simple procedures for access to

          information services. Such an effort would be of great benefit

          since it could provide both improved access to information and

          reduce requirements for training and orientation at the same

          time.



     4.   Holding briefings by all participating organizations on their

          specific orientation/training capabilities and programs.



     5.   Development of a combined (i.e., legislative branch) guide to

          both significant reading providing an exposition of tools and

          techniques for use in their daily work, and key instructional

          materials reflecting latest developments in hardware, software,

          and systems.



Discussion



During the past two decades, there have been many noteworthy initiatives by

responsible congressional staff elements to ensure that a growing cadre of

computer cognizant committee, Member, and administrative personnel be

informed about the characteristics and uses of the mounting variety of

technological innovations. It has often seemed that no sooner was one

system mastered than another would arrive to supplant it and require yet

further training. Mobility within Hill staff, which now numbers

nearly 40,000, has been sufficiently significant to require either the

training of new persons fairly often or the retraining of reassigned

individuals. To stay current is a formidable challenge, even for the most

dedicated professional.



A viable precedent for this priority recommendation is found in the

endeavors, in the late 1970s, of the Policy Coordination Group (PCG) for

Technology Development, and its Task Force on Orientation and Training. The

PCG was created in 1977 as the result of a joint initiative by Senator

Claiborne Pell, chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

and Representative Frank Thompson, Jr., chair of the House Committee on

Administration. In their authorization, they emphasized that this staff

group was "charged with the responsibility of seeing that efforts in

subjects of joint interest are coordinated in a cost-effective manner."

[11] One such area was that of orientation and training. The resuscitation

of this mechanism, which was successful for a number of years, deserves

serious consideration.



In the present high technology milieu, the omnipresent requirement for

understanding and most effectively using the many technological products of

mankind's ingenuity demands that the congressional leadership empower those

charged with information management to create responsive systems which will

enhance Congress' deliberative capability and its service to the national

constituency.



5.2.5 Accelerate Complete Full E-Mail Linkage among Legislative Agencies,

      Including State and District Offices



Finding



Electronic mail usage has become a way of life for some on Capitol Hill,

yet different hardware and software use in the past has produced a lack of

compatibility between users, which has been a major impediment to

widespread use. The implementation of a House-wide E-Mail facility gives

House users the ability to communicate directly with other House users via

their keyboard. This allows them to freely obtain and retransmit data and

information, including press stories, CRS data bases, or other available

facts and figures. An E-Mail pilot program linking seven House Member

offices with their constituents has been set up recently.



Finding



The Senate does not presently offer the same degree of compatibility with E-

Mail options limited primarily to each local area network, office, or

committee rather than across the Senate. The Senate Data Communications

Network does link all Senate offices in Washington, D.C. to those in all 50

states, and FAX technology permits sending one message at a time to up

to 50 Senate offices.



Recommendation



The proposed LBITN should quickly establish an E-Mail working group to

smooth out the steps required to make E-Mail a reality among the several

jurisdictions and groups which have a role in its implementation on the

Hill. Technology is increasingly available with the capability of helping

different information systems, such as those bought from different vendors

or running on different software, to communicate with each other. But the

human factor is what will make it happen or not happen, and the need for

active collaboration at the human level is what is really required to

produce an easy-to-use E-Mail capability for all Hill users.



Discussion



Anecdotal evidence presented at the Symposium on Opportunities for the Use

of Information Resources and Technologies for Congress clearly established

that acceptance by the leadership of any new function or organization is

required before such a system such as E-Mail truly realizes its potential.

For example, once the Speaker of the North Carolina Assembly realized that

E-Mail was an easy way to communicate his concern over Friday afternoon

staff work habits, legislative use of E-Mail increased dramatically.



Anyone today who can operate a microwave oven or query a bank computer for

a checking account balance can use E-Mail. Once the normal reluctance by

those unaccustomed to writing out their messages on a keyboard is overcome,

the convenience and unobtrusiveness of the option is understood and

appreciated, and they become users.



Today the FAX machine is an essential tool for inter-office work, and most

wonder how they got along without it. Increasingly, E-Mail and other

networking options are being used in business and in other professions.

Better communications and networks among employees improve the flow of

information. One example is found in the oil business where data can now

flow from the wellhead to the corporate head, as it were. E-Mail and

networking use can give better access to needed information, and reduce

duplication and the perennial problem of getting something from the in-box

to the out-box.



With the ability to send requests or memos freely among the Senate, House,

and their support agencies, much better communication and better use of

everyone's time will result. For example, subcommittee chairs could easily

try out a proposition on subcommittee members or a state delegation chair

could easily send information and get feedback on a state matter; the

possibilities are endless.



In addition, by participating in networks such as INTERNET and learning

about the ever-burgeoning resources available to the computer literate

person who is part of a network, the Congress itself will be better

positioned to be a part of such activity; it will have moved into the

Information Age. Such increased familiarity with information tools will

help Members and staff alike to understand their value, take advantage of

this capability in performing legislative tasks, and produce better

legislation as they learn how to obtain and share the information they

need.



5.2.6 Develop an Up-to-Date Contingency Plan for Computer Backup in Case of

      Disaster



Finding



Both in government and the private sector, disasters have occurred due to

human carelessness, mechanical malfunction, rare acts of nature, or hacker

activity and often left those reliant upon such electronic support unable

to function. The need for a carefully developed and regularly maintained

strategy for such unsought impacts is undeniable and merits the attention

of staff charged with oversight to ensure uninterrupted service to a time-

oriented and demanding clientele.



Finding



The physical disposition of the three major computer centers serving the

Congress -- in the House of Representatives, Senate, and Library of

Congress -- is favorable in that existing security measures and mechanisms

are one way to help optimize the protection of these facilities from casual

depredation. Other significant centers of computer and telecommunications

capability exist as well and must be factored into any planning.



Finding



There has been recognition on the Hill in the past that a backup capability

-- including the remote storage of key files -- in the event of equipment

"going down" was necessary, and cognizant functionaries have discussed this

matter. Also, the pressures of everyday workloads and the widespread

belief, though seldom articulated, that some dire disturbance "probably

won't happen here," have militated against the kind of serious preventive

planning which warrants positive action. Yet as more and more Member

offices expand their computer capability, the tendency is to store such

information on-site, with an increasing vulnerability to a disastrous

incident.



Recommendation



A master plan covering all identifiable contingency conditions should be

developed by an interagency staff task force, augmented as required with

experts from the private sector or other government groups with real

experience in such matters. Corollary to this plan, a series of scenarios

needs to be developed so that "table-top" evaluations and actual exercises

can be carried out. This is undertaken regularly in the emergency

management realm, in both the public and private sectors, and experience

has shown that only through such activities can personnel be brought to the

desired level of readiness.



A policy agreement which encompasses all Hill components needs to be drawn

up, not only authorizing quick-response action, but spelling out in detail

the ways in which various types of emergencies can be dealt with,

including: transfer of equipment backup responsibility; creation of

remotely stored electronic and microform files of key materials; software

performance descriptions and the identification of equivalencies for

expediting recovery; cross-training of computer center management and

operator personnel; guidelines for creating anticipatory disaster-related

documentation, plus those setting forth the recording of activities

occurring during and after any emergency; up-to-date security measures

covering both facility management and file integrity; any necessary

guidelines and regulations affecting contractor involvement in emergency

preparedness, response, or recovery.



Discussion



In these times, when dependence on external power supplies has often grown

beyond communities' ability to provide such critical support, even when

caused by windstorms, flooding, or other natural disasters (such as

earthquakes), it is imperative that a realistic evaluation of congressional

agencies' backup computing (and related technological) resources be

undertaken and corrective steps taken, where needed.



The following is an enumeration of the major vital elements which are

deserving of attention:



     -    Determination of the software inventory within the congressional

          community, including its exclusivity and potential for

          compatibility in meeting other (new) users' needs.



     -    Analysis of all significant Hill hardware resources, as well as

          those in the private sector which might be readily available for

          backup use.



     -    Assessment of how, when, and where a contingency capability could

          be established, either on or off the Hill, under alternative

          disaster conditions.



     -    Listing of those file/databases requiring special handling, as in

          the instance where certain committee holdings have had sharply

          limited access because of security restrictions.



     -    Development of a plan for personnel replacement, and probable

          prior training and orientation, based on outsiders having the

          recognized competence to immediately function as substitutes for

          absent of injured "home team" cadre.



     -    Definition of Hill entity requirements for backup electrical

          power.



In addition to the normal barriers which prevent unauthorized access to all

of the Hill computer systems sites, a modern surveillance system augments

the protective shield through carefully monitored access to the buildings

in which they are housed. The difficulty inherent in achieving maximum

security, because of policies allowing public visiting of the parent

institutions, must be recognized and its implementation seen as imperfect.



Such a plan must also take into account that there be a requirement for

hardware replacement, but many software systems which over time have become

somewhat tailored to the primary users of the center would have to be

replaced or reshaped. Where contractor support is a factor, that too should

be looked at carefully and contingency plans made for rapid restitution of

acceptable service.



5.3 Long-Term Goals



As the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress moves forward in

shaping its vision of Congress in the 21st Century, there are certain long-

term goals which constitute an irreducible core of planning components

which must be kept in mind and addressed.



The following initial selection of such goals, many of which are obviously

linked with the foregoing "immediate action items" and "near-term

objectives," can help congressional practitioners and planners alike with

candidate pragmatic opportunities for improving congressional efficiency

and effectiveness.



     1.   Create an Optical Disc-Based Information Capability for Storage

          and Retrieval of Key Narrative and Graphic Material by All

          Legislative Agencies During the past decade, there has been

          significant development of optical disk storage and retrieval

          capabilities within the Federal government. In a survey of 27

          agencies conducted in 1990 by the General Services

          Administration, 56 optical disk systems were reviewed. Among the

          major advantages were a large information storage capacity, but

          also mentioned were improved access, reduced space requirements,

          and improved information retrieval and sharing. Thirty-three

          different brands of equipment were used, and the usual focus was

          on supporting mission-oriented agency functions. Scientific and

          experimental data were the predominant types stored on this

          medium.



A typical full-service imaging system, such as that depicted in Figure 4,

might feature a mainframe computer, a local area network, scanners, file

servers, and printers. Many existing systems, [12] however, may have only a

read-only drive attached to a personal computer, for which commercially

prepared reference disks are procured.



FIGURE 4: Complex optical disc configuration.



The primary developmental effort on Capitol Hill has taken place at the

Library of Congress, which concentrated on storing material (often multi-

colored) such as political posters, replicas of paintings, and photographs.

Quite recently, the Congressional Research Service has mounted an operative

file featuring the full text of public policy literature, an area of high

interest and value to Members as well as committee/subcommittee offices.



The responsibility for the continuing development of optical disk storage

and retrieval capabilities should reside with the Library of Congress.

Included within this purview should be the creation of systems standards,

archival guidelines, tools and techniques for accessing stored data, and

the role of developing budgetary parameters and proposals. Coordination of

the selection and prioritization of materials to be stored in the system

should be conducted by a legislative branch interagency task force under

the Library of Congress.



In the future, as the holdings placed on optical disks increase and on-line

access becomes generalized, users such as CBO analysts will be able to

review a broadening range of narrative and graphic information generated on

the Hill, in the federal executive branch, and from private sector sources.

Among the types of information already so stored within the federal

community -- in addition to a variety of scientific items -- are articles

and books, decisions, laws and regulations, case files, maps, and agency

directives. The impending greater capacity of this innovative resource will

cause expanded interactive use of such holdings from individual

workstations and lead inevitably to an ever-widening array of valuable

material being placed in these files.



     2.   Reduce the Number of Computer Centers and Build on the Capacity

          of the Installed PCs



The potential reality of the stated objective by the congressional

leadership to reduce legislative branch appropriations by as much as one-

fourth over four years should lead to more efficient, perhaps centralized

information handling, and other uses of advanced technology for reducing

costs. Reducing the number of computer centers and building on the ability

of installed PCs have been undertaken by certain groups in the private

sector and some state legislatures. The out sourcing of mainframe

processing, and the eliminating of as many computer centers as possible,

has resulted in lower costs.



These efforts go to the heart of activities which attempt to keep Congress

abreast of information technologies and services which can help conduct its

legislative business effectively and efficiently.



In the section on Near-Term Goals, we proposed creating a Legislative

Branch Information Technology Network (LBITN) to act in two key ways: 1) to

organize collaborative work on the part of all the computer centers and

support agencies so as to produce an agreed upon central set of

responsibilities and functions for the individual agencies and centers,

and 2) to seek cooperation in improving the efficiency of the several

agencies and offices which provide Congress with information support by

reducing redundancy while building on the strengths of each agency.



The result of the LBITN endeavor will be, if the tasks are successfully

worked out, to reduce costs and improve performance as has been done by

others such as Westinghouse, Avis, Sun Microsystems, the North Carolina

state legislature, and the U.S. Army. The latter group reduced its computer

centers from 14 to 9 for a proven first year savings of $30 million, and

$20 million per year subsequently in cost avoidance. [13]



The task ahead will not be easy. Key supporting information roles will be

difficult to change or give up. However, any objective review will find

that numerous tasks can be commonly shared, and the International Standards

Office (ISO) model for an "Extended Data Center" offers some helpful

guidance. [14]



Alternatives include consolidating in a single Congressional Computer

Center, or retaining more of such centers than is thought absolutely

necessary, to preserve what passes for control. But just as the purchase

and installation of the CAPNET have produced an example of a cooperative

effort, so too can the recasting of central computing requirements and

responsibilities. For example, action leading to true consolidation cannot

occur without discussing security and backup capabilities. If it were

decided to have one Senate Computer Center and one House Computer Center,

then logically each should back up the other, which would mean that all the

House's data would be duplicated for placement on, or emergency access by,

the Senate system, and vice versa. In lieu of this arrangement, it might be

better to take the step of relying on one computer center with backup

capability, which not only would end up as a cost savings, but might well

avoid some difficult institutional issues.



     3.   Develop a Refined Information Handling Infrastructure for the

          Entire Congress



Information technology and information resources available to Capitol Hill

play a key role in the ability of Congress to do its legislative job and

communicate with the American people. Notwithstanding the accuracy of this

statement, Congress has not, as a matter of course, applied information

technology in accordance with an overall strategic plan. Rather, it has

preferred to take a cautious non-coordinated approach leaving it with often

cumbersome and inefficient procedures which do not have the flexibility and

ease of use now available in some private industry organizations and state

legislatures.



Existing information services and systems in the House and Senate and among

their support agencies frequently vary in form and by name, and reflect

differing Hill management styles. At the same time, however, these entities

have discovered that they share common telecommunications and computing

problems when they seek to improve services, upgrade hardware and software,

or build networks and databases.



The jurisdictions of the Joint Committee on Printing and the Joint

Committee on the Library are based on needs identified before information

technology was available, and do not reflect the full breadth of oversight

required to cope with existing and emerging information and technology

resource policy issues or applications.



Congress definitely needs to better organize itself to keep abreast of

information technology developments in order to perform requisite

legislative work and communicate with constituents and the public. A new

organization should be positioned to understand and evaluate the policy

implications contained in information technology advances for private and

public use and other legal and governmental issues. As part of the work of

the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, a proposal should be

advanced to place oversight responsibility for information technology and

information resources functions together with those involving printing and

the Library of Congress.



The organization that is created, preferably a jointly funded Joint

Committee without legislative authority, should have the responsibility to

resolve policy issues on the deployment and use of information technology

within the Congress. While many issues concerning guidelines and procedures

for collaborating and coordinating activities can be worked out by senior

staff managers and officials, they are often helped if they know that if

they fail there is the option to take the matter to an elected official

with the jurisdiction and knowledge to work it out.



The last major congressional institutional change related to technology was

the creation of the Office of Technology Assessment in 1972. During the

Carnegie Commission's review of science and technology policy, an

underlying theme has been access to current information, and the ability of

policymakers and their staffs to communicate with each other and with the

public. Although information technology, per se, has not been a specific

subject of study for that report, those issues related to the ability of

Congress to make decisions and the information basis for such action are of

increasing importance.



The functions of the Joint Committee on the Library and the Joint Committee

on Printing need to be carefully examined as candidates for a merger

bridging focal responsibilities of the House and the Senate including

information resources and information technology. Some related coordinative

groundwork has been done in a specific area of application:

telecommunications. The present loose federation of Hill support agencies,

called the Legislative Branch Telecommunications Network, has helped to

better coordinate Hill telecommunications enhancements and interaction over

the past five years, with the direction of the House Subcommittee on

Legislative Branch Appropriations and active management by the Architect of

the Capitol.



The following is a descriptive list of topics which require resolution

between the congressional entities as they struggle to resolve issues that

have inhibited the broad application of information technologies:



     1.   Assess the usefulness of creating a Federal Information Locator

          System (FILS) type capability providing a guide to ready access

          to federal documents.



     2.   Create a computerized listing of extant public and private

          indexing directories and "finder services" for information

          resources, (e.g., the National Technical Information Service

          directories and the Gale Research three-volume series on on-line

          databases).



     3.   Determine guidelines for the storage of both documents and

          narrative, statistical, and graphic information in electronic,

          video, microform, or traditional paper.



     4.   Develop a strategy for information handling with a focus on

          indexing, storing, and retrieving information of a current

          nature, and determining thresholds for that to be archived (e.g.,

          a video record of congressional proceedings might well suffer

          significant deterioration over a period of years).



     5.   Undertake a pilot effort to facilitate congressional electronic

          access to federal agency budgetary and program data useful to

          authorization, appropriations, and oversight activities.



     6.   Encourage committees and subcommittees to prepare computerized

          records of selected activities within their purview such as the

          action taken in creating a "document control system" by the

          Senate Temporary Select Committee to Study the Committee System

          (1976) [15] and the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle

          Challenger Accident (1985).



     7.   Prepare guidelines for the selection of material -- such as

          committee reports and prints, CRS, GAO, CBO, and OTA publications

          -- some in electronic form, which would constitute a unified

          "public policy database" available to Congress.



     8.   Evaluate requirements for the security of data produced within

          the context of constitutionally privileged information and

          develop guidelines governing the availability of electronic data.



     9.   Undertake a study of what would constitute core sets of

          information on major issues of high interest to congressional

          committees, including drawing distinctions between congressional

          working files and those with restricted access; also, attention

          should be paid to identifying the parameters for obtaining,

          storing, and accessing non-textual information (e.g.,

          photographs).



     10.  Establish under the LBITN an R&D task force charged with

          monitoring on-going commercial and governmental developments in

          hardware, software, and systems, as applicable to the changing

          needs of Congress, and making recommendations for their

          adaptation.



     4.   Verbatim Printing of the Congressional Record



The oral proceedings of the House and Senate should be reproduced verbatim

so that what is heard and seen by Members and by the public (including C-

SPAN coverage) is faithfully reproduced in a printed and CD-ROM version of

the Congressional Record.



This important change is long overdue. The TV coverage of the House and

Senate has permitted the capture and reproduction of what has taken place

in the House and Senate chambers for years, yet comments in the

Congressional Record can be edited by each speaker before it is printed.

Anyone who speaks on the floor of the House or Senate may add or delete

words, phrases, sentences, or even whole paragraphs. Such a practice was

more commonly accepted when printed media served as the only permanent

record of the event, which is no longer the case today. What occurs on the

floor of each chamber today may be viewed as it happens, or be recorded and

replayed in whole or in part at a later time. Any deviation from what was

actually said is simply an alteration of the actual event. The present

practice also provides the opportunity for expanding or even changing the

meaning of the words uttered on the floor. This practice, if continued, may

someday cast individual Members, and by implication the Congress, in an

unfavorable light, and represent another instance of Congress seeking to

control an event after it has occurred. There has not been a legislative

history test case which has decided whether the videotape or the printed

Congressional Record is the "best evidence" of what occurred.



This recommendation would serve Congress well by eliminating any

differences between the spoken, published, videofilm, or electronically

stored record. It does not address the different practice in each body for

handling the "Extension of Remarks" which under present practice is clearly

identified in the Congressional Record as such. The printing or electronic

storage of such additional material which is so identified is not the issue

here, although since the practices for inclusion do differ between the

bodies, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress may wish to

review them.



The bound Congressional Record prepared by GPO contains the corrections to

the text that have been identified. Its printing in this form is running

about a year behind schedule, since it should come out within 30 days of

the event. Additionally, a change to verbatim recording of the event would

simplify the process used to produce the Congressional Record and serve to

reduce its production cost since the emphasis would be on accuracy, instead

of making certain that all suggested edits (with corresponding additions

and deletions) are faithfully reproduced.



6.0 CONCLUSION



This report has sought to identify the areas in congressional operations

where information technology and resources can be applied, and then to

recommend ways within the institution to make it happen. Because of the

breadth of the charter given to the Joint Committee on the Organization of

Congress, the report is not limited to recommendations only for the House

or for the Senate but addresses all of the major Hill agencies that have an

information role.



While careful cognizance has been given to past expressions of Member and

staff information needs, these have been perceived within the context of

the Congress as a whole since its requirements for a viable information

infrastructure are of paramount importance. Furthermore, since the House is

elected every two years and the Senate every six, the ever-changing nature

of Capitol Hill demands that flexibility in thinking and planning and

implementation must be accepted as a way of life in these dynamic times.

Thomas Jefferson offered a timeless and relevant commentary when he opined

that: [16]



     Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress

     of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more

     enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths

     disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change

     of circumstances, institutions must advance also and keep

     pace with the times.



All of the items we have proposed will change the institution as we know

it, some with more subtle impact than others. It is for this reason that we

recommend a Joint Committee on Information Technology and Resources and a

Legislative Branch Information Technology Network using the model of the

LBTN. The technologies and the improvements and changes they offer will

change the way business is conducted. Just introducing accessibility to

bill text and to amendments on the floor of the House or Senate or both and

the use of E-Mail by heads of committees, subcommittees, state delegations,

or others who have some common purpose could greatly facilitate the

Members' performance of their daily legislative tasks.



At the same time, using techniques such as teleconferencing and more

coverage of Congress at work in committee would bring the action to the

people and broaden the exposure to our democracy at work. Indeed, an

argument can be made that without a dedicated effort to take full advantage

of technologies for graphic displays which are increasingly available in

the classroom, Congress looks like it is antiquated and, therefore, out of

touch.



A series of principles for future information systems development and

improvement have emerged during the preparation of this study which, when

juxtaposed with the guidelines set forth at the beginning of the study, can

help establish the overarching policies that can dictate the direction and

parameters of change. Similarly, they can serve as reminders to the

information management forces and the operatives which make things happen

of the longer-term goals which often fade from awareness due to the impact

of daily pressures and problems.



     -    Build on the cooperative, collaborative work among legislative

          support agencies in determining future "zones of responsibility"

          as lead agencies



     -    Seek to ensure adherence to Hill-wide guidelines and standards to

          maintain and improve optimum interaction and efficiency



     -    Emphasize that while flexibility and cooperation are the key,

          maximum retention of entity (e.g., House*-Senate*-Library of

          Congress) strengths and missions should be allowed



     -    Agree that an evolutionary approach to upgrading the legislative

          branch information support capability is essential



     -    Initiate and sustain combined efforts to identify, test, and

          acquire the most applicable new information technologies as they

          become available



     -    Determine that "mutual, maximum supportability," as in times of

          emergency or duress, is an achievable, priority goal



     -    Effectuate on-going training and orientation which address both

          Member and staff needs and functions



     -    Require regular (annual or biannual) reviews, as appropriate,

          which include the key players, to keep a focus on the status and

          potential of information support activities



With these as an underpinning for strategic development of enhanced

information support, this report underscores the fact that Congress would

have -- as aptly stated in the recent Mann-Ornstein report Renewing

Congress -- "a much improved deliberative capacity:" [17]



     . . . a greater ability, in other words, to study and debate

     alternatives, to process and communicate information, both

     for considering legislation and, more broadly, for educating

     members and the public alike.



7.0 APPENDIXES



     7.1 Appendix A: Chronology Of Key Actions Affecting Improved

         Congressional Information Support



     1965-1966       Second Legislative Reorganization Act hearings



     1966           First bill to create a congressional computer facility

                    (H.R. 18428, 89th Congress)



     1967           Congressional Research Service (CRS) automates "Bill

                    Digest" information



     1968           CRS computerizes first House calendar operation (for

                    Committee on Banking and Currency)



     1969           House acts on Brademas resolution by empowering Special

                    Subcommittee on Electrical and Mechanical Office

                    Equipment to study ADP uses



     1970           Enactment of Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970

                    (P.L. 91-510)



                    Senate establishes Subcommittee on Computer Services;

                    authorizes study of ADP uses



     1971           H.I.S. office created Potter administrative survey of

                    offices of the Secretary of the Senate issued



     1972           House and Senate campaign expenditure data systems

                    implemented



                    New House chamber voting procedures approved



                    GAO publishes Budgetary and Fiscal Needs of the

                    Congress



                    Technology Assessment Act of 1972 (P.L. 93-484) creates

                    the Office of Technology Assessment



                    Library of Congress Information Systems Office begins

                    development of SCORPIO software



     1973           Senate commences "pilot" test of CRS on-line files



                    House electronic voting system becomes operative



                    CRS and Senate tie in to New York Times Information

                    Bank



                    CRS establishes links with MEDLINE and JURIS



     1974           Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of

                    1974 (P.L. 93-344) creates the Congressional Budget

                    Office and chamber Budget Committees



                    House Select Committee on Committees makes

                    recommendations (H.Res. 988)



     1975           House Commission on Information and Facilities

                    establishes "pilot member information network"



                    Senate provides terminals for all Member offices



                    House Committee Order No. 23 authorizes $1,000 monthly

                    expenditures (from clerk-hire funds) by each Member for

                    computer services



                    Temporary Commission on the Operation of the Senate

                    established



     1976           Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate

                    Committee System created



                    House Commission on Administrative Review formed



                    Senate, House, and Library of Congress computer

                    facilities expanded



     1977           House Policy Group on Information and Computers

                    established



                    Trial videotaping of House chamber proceedings by

                    Select Committee on Congressional Operations begins



                    Committee on House Administration and Senate Committee

                    on Rules and Administration authorize Policy

                    Coordination Group for Technology Development



     1978           First Annual Report of Policy Coordination Group for

                    Technology Development prepared



                    Audiotaping of Senate debate on Panama Canal treaty



                    GAO "Congressional Sourcebook" files incorporated

                    within SCORPIO system



     1979           Congressional Clearinghouse on the Future features

                    monthly series of seminars, workshops, and

                    demonstrations on "Information and Communications"



                    Videotaping of all House chamber proceedings attains

                    operational status



     1980           Senate Geographic Reporting System on Federal fund

                    distribution established



                    House Committee Meeting Information System becomes

                    fully operational



                    H.I.S. opens Office Management, Demonstration, and

                    Training Center



                    Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-511) enacted



                    CRS subscribes to NEXIS



     1981           Senate State offices provide on-line access to

                    legislative information resources



                    Electronic mail capability ties House Member offices to

                    selected federal agencies



     1982           Standing Rules and Precedents databases, along with CRS

                    database on Terminating Programs, become available

                    through the service provided by Senate Information

                    Retrieval Systems



                    CRS Inquiry Status Unit establishes E-Mail system to

                    correspond with House Hill and District offices



     1983           Pilot test of "office automation" in offices of U.S.

                    Senators



                    H.I.S. releases Newswire database to Member offices



     1984           H.I.S. provides GPRO (Geographic PROfile) database to

                    Member offices



                    Cellular phones (on rental basis) added to House list

                    of approved communications equipment



                    CRS subscribes to VU/Text service



     1985           Senate completes office automation test; systems

                    operational in most Senators' offices and committees



                    Government Printing Office implements Executive

                    Information System (EIS) database for management

                    reporting and Materials Management Procurement



                    Control System (MMPCS II) with over 180 on-line and

                    batch programs



                    CRS introduces word proximity capability for retrieving

                    from the Bill Digest file and revises the Citation file

                    through simple text retrieval and enhanced displays



     1986           Senate begins Phase II of office automation study;

                    commences automation of Senate offices in the States



                    CBO initiates projects configuring microcomputers to

                    perform functions previously limited to mainframe

                    processing



                    H.I.S. finalizes planning for full-text retrieval of

                    bills and resolutions, and putting the Congressional

                    Record on-line



                    Trial videotaping of Senate chamber proceedings begins



     1987           Architect of the Capitol initiates contract for

                    Legislative Branch Telecommunications Study



                    H.I.S. provides new Congressional Record Information

                    Service



                    CRS commences development of user "HELP" facility for

                    on-line assistance



                    Senate chamber videotaping attains operational status



     1988           CRS achieves new level of distributed processing by

                    placing PCs on all researchers' desks



                    Senate expands the area coverage of its paging system



                    Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Election

                    databases added to H.I.S. Member Information Network,

                    bringing the total databases to 62



                    H.I.S. introduces MicroMIN, the PC LAN-based office

                    automation system for Member offices



                    H.I.S. initiates the design of ISIS, a new paradigm in

                    client/server-based office automation and information

                    systems



     1989           Senate Committee on Rules and Administration authorizes

                    the Economic Allocation Program for upgrading/replacing

                    office automation systems



                    U.S. Code, Text of Legislation, Congressional Quarterly

                    among new H.I.S. Member Information Network databases

                    (now totalling 82)



                    House population of computers now totals 4,000



     1990           Upgrading of Senate Recording Studio completed



                    Reuters newswire service added to House Member

                    Information Network



                    CRS optical disk system becomes operative in production

                    mode, featuring public policy literature file access



                    H.I.S. provided office automation/communications

                    support for the House Eastern European Task Force on

                    developing legislatures in Hungary, Poland and

                    Czechoslovakia



     1991           Development of a House-wide E-Mail capability commences



                    Number of computers serving Senate offices now totals

                    5,000



                    Automated publication of House Legislative Calendars

                    achieved, allowing electronic transfer of data to GPO



                    House Wide Area Data Communications Network is

                    implemented, streamlining Capitol Hill to Districts

                    communications



                    First workstations are placed in CRS Reference Centers

                    located in congressional buildings



                    Conversion from Ethernet to FDDI for House campus

                    entities begins



                    CRS develops "graphical access user interface"

                    capability within SCORPIO



                    Eastern European technical support expanded to Romania

                    and Bulgaria by House Eastern European Task Force



                    H.I.S. MIN adds Votes and Hotline services, bringing

                    total of databases to 92



     1992           National Change of Address and address purification

                    systems implemented to reduce House mailing costs



                    House Wide Area Network Services connects 100 District

                    offices



                    CRS becomes a node on INTERNET



                    House Member Information Network adds USA Today,

                    Interfax newswire, Education Report Card, Congressional

                    Record, Census, and OTA publications



                    In cooperation with the Architect of the Capitol, the

                    Senate procures a new long distance telephone system



                    H.I.S. creates first edition of U.S. Code on CD-ROM for

                    the Law Revision Counsel at a cost of $30 per copy



                    H.I.S. provides GAO with E-Mail and Bulletin Board

                    facilities



                    House Eastern European Task Force adds Latvia and

                    Lithuania to its project group



                    Senate Commercial Information Services program expanded

                    to 113 offices



                    Rewiring of all House offices completed allowing "plug

                    in" voice and data communications



                    H.I.S. begins implementation of the ISIS system



     1993           All House Wide Area Network Services are converted from

                    analog to digital technology



                    Senate Computer Center continues implementation of

                    Senate Mail System



                    Healthline Service and White House Press Releases'

                    databases added to House Member Information Network



                    Library of Congress makes on-line files available to

                    public via INTERNET



                    House-wide E-Mail facility is implemented, connecting

                    House offices to the X400 and INTERNET systems; allows

                    E-Mail access by constituents



7.2 Appendix B: Acknowledgments



This consultant report, prepared under the aegis of the Carnegie Commission

on Science, Technology, and Government, for the Joint Committee on the

Organization of Congress, was co-authored by Robert Lee Chartrand and

Robert C. Ketcham.



Offering guidance and support in the fulfillment of this task were members

of the Carnegie Commission staff: David Z. Robinson, David Z. Beckler,

Maxine Rockoff, Mark Schaefer, Bonnie P. Bisol, Christina E. Halvorson, and

A. Bryce Hoflund. Participants in the two-day symposium on "Opportunities

for the Use of Information Resources and Technologies for Congress" were:



     Robert Lee Chartrand               Robert C. Ketcham

     Patricia Battin                    M. Glenn Newkirk

     Stephen E. Frantzich               Alan T. Paller

     Kenneth W. Hunter                  Gary R. Rowe



Invaluable advice and counsel were obtained from senior staff professionals

within the congressional community:



     Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress



          Kim Wincup, Kelly Cordes



     Senate Committee on Rules and Administration



          Robert D. Harris



     Senate Computer Center



          Mike Bartell, Gary Garman, Liz McAlhany, Kim Winn



     House Committee on Appropriations (Legislative Subcommittee)



          Edward E. Lombard



     House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology



          James Paul, Grace Ostenso



     House Office of the Legislative Counsel



          David E. Meade, M. Douglass Bellis, Robert W. Cover



     House Office of the Law Revision Counsel



          Edward F. Willet, Jr., Lawrence Monoco



     House Office of the Parliamentarian



          William H. Brown, Charles W. Johnson, Thomas G. Duncan,

          John V. Sullivan



     Speaker's Task Force on Teleconferencing



          Cheryl Mendonsa



     House Office of Non-legislative and Financial Services



          Leonard P. Wishart III



     House Information Systems



          Hamish Murray, Kathy Bye, Jack Belcher, Pattie Terwilliger



     Joint Committee on Printing



          John D. Merritt



     Office of the Architect of the Capitol



          Daniel E. Hanlon



     Congressional Budget Office



          James L. Blum, Daniel Zimmerman



     Congressional Research Service



          Jane Bortnick-Griffith, Jeffery C. Griffith



     General Accounting Office



          J. Kevin Boland



     Office of Technology Assessment



          Peter D. Blair, Fred B. Wood



     Government Printing Office



          Andrew Sherman



Useful material concerning State legislature use of advanced information

technologies was furnished by:



     Dale Claudel, Manager of Information Services, Legislative

     Administration Committee, Oregon State Legislature J. Richard Langley,

     Executive Director, Legislative Data Center, Florida Legislature



     M. Glenn Newkirk, Director of Legislative Automated Systems, North

     Carolina General Assembly



     Larry Smoot, Director, Legislative Service Center, Washington State

     Legislature



7.3 Appendix C: Biographical Sketches Of Symposium Participants



Patricia Battin. President, Commission on Preservation and Access. . . .

former Vice President for Information Services/University Librarian,

Columbia University. . . . Council on Library Resources Board of

Directors, 1984- . . . . Stanford University Advisory Council on Libraries

and Information Technologies, 1992- . . . . author of numerous professional

publications, including Redefining Preservation and Reconceptualizing

Information Services (1992). . . . Association of College & Research

Libraries: Academic/Research Librarian of the Year, 1990.



Robert Lee Chartrand (Co-Leader). Senior Specialist (Emeritus) in

Information Policy and Technology, Congressional Research Service, Library

of Congress. . . . instrumental in the creation or expansion of improved

information systems and services, utilizing computer and microform

technologies, in support of congressional operations. . . . earlier career

assignments included seven years with TRW, IBM, and the Planning Research

Corporation. . . . author or editor of a score of books and major

congressional reports, including The Congress and Information Technology,

State Legislature Use of Information Technology (with Jane Bortnick), and

Information Support, Program Budgeting, and the Congress. . . . received

the ASIS Award of Merit (1985).



Stephen E. Frantzich. Professor of Political Science and Director of the

Honors Program, U. S. Naval Academy. . . . consultant to C-SPAN, LEGI-

SLATE, the Congressional Database, the Purdue Public Affairs Video

Archives, and the American Political Science Association. . . . has written

widely on the impact of modern information technology on the political

process, including Computers in Congress: The Politics of Information

(1982), and Electronic Service Delivery and Congress (1992). . . . his

educational software and video tapes are distributed nationwide. . . .

teaches in the graduate program of George Washington University. . . .

Fulbright Scholar to Denmark.



Kenneth W. Hunter. Director, Center for International Foresight, Political

Science Department, University of Maryland (Baltimore). . . . 33-year

career with the General Accounting Office. . . . leader in the design and

implementation of many federal policymaking processes, including

information support systems for decisionmaking, budgetary, training, and

multi-disciplinary research. . . . Staff Director for initial House of

Representatives' automation planning. . . . Chair of five World Future

Society conferences, including "Communications and the Future". . . .

author of numerous publications (e.g., Navigating the 90s).



Robert C. Ketcham. (Co-Leader). Consultant, Committee on Science,

Technology, and Congress of the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology,

and Government, 1992- . . . . consultant to Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory (1991). . . . Former Chief of Staff (and earlier General

Counsel), Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U. S. House of

Representatives. . . . Special Counsel, Select Committee on Committees

(chaired by Rep. Richard Bolling). . . . Staff Attorney, Natural Resources

Defense Council, on the Ford Foundation's Energy Policy Project. . . .

Administrative Assistant to Rep. F. Bradford Morse and, later, Rep. John G.

Dow.



M. Glenn Newkirk. Director of Legislative Automated Systems, North Carolina

General Assembly. . . . independent consultancies involving technology

assessments, audits, and systems implementation for the Pakistan National

Assembly, the National Conference of State Legislature, and the

legislatures of Kansas, West Virginia, Washington State, Michigan, and

Wyoming. . . . Senior Program Director of Information Services and

Publications, National Conference of State Legislatures. . . . author of

many monographs, research reports, and articles, including Incorporating

Members' Computers into Legislative Information Systems (1993) and

Legislative Fiscal Information Systems: A Fifty-State Survey and Use

Analysis.



Alan T. Paller. Director of Technology Strategy, Computer Associates

International. . . . Chairman of the Federal Open Systems Conference and of

the World Conference on Systems Administration, Networking, and Distributed

Security. . . . formerly President of AUI, a federal systems integration

firm, and earlier was Director of Integrated Software Systems Corporation,

the largest computer graphics software firm. . . . author of more than 100

articles, including the definitive writing on open systems (1990) in

Government Executive magazine, and two books, including The EIS Book:

Information Systems for Top Managers.



Gary R. Rowe. Senior Vice President of Turner Educational Services,

Inc. . . . has led the development of video-based learning products and

services. . . . guided Turner Broadcasting's launch of CNN NEWSROOM, used

in 26,000 schools domestically, which was nominated for an EMMY award

in 1992 and 1993, and received the President's Award of the Cable

Television Public Affairs Association in 1991. . . . has worked with

textbook publishers to develop Videolink and CNN Business Line to integrate

textbook content with weekly electronic updates. . . . formerly Press

Secretary and Special Assistant to Sen. Charles Percy. . . . Vice President

of the Board of Directors of the Center for Media and Values.



7.4 Appendix D: Selected Readings: Information Technology For Congress



American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Congress the

First Branch of Government. (Alfred de Grazia, ed.) Washington, D.C.,

AEI, 1966. 515 pp.: Charles R. Dechert, "Availability of Information for

Congressional Operations." Kenneth Janda, "Information Systems for

Congress." James A. Robinson, "Decision Making in Congress."



Arthur D. Little Company, Inc. Management Study of the U.S. Congress.

Report to NBC News, November 24, 1965. 37 pp. An expanded version of this

study appeared as Congress Needs Help (by Philip Donham and Robert J.

Fahey). New York, Random House, 1966. 203 p.



Richard Bolling. "Does Congress Have a Future?" A.D. Journal of

Legislation. vol. 1, May 1974: 31-45.



Jane Bortnick. "Information Technology and Legislators: The U.S.

Experience." Canadian Parliamentary Review, v. 12, spring 1989: 24-28.



John Brademas. "Prognostications Regarding the Growth and Diversification

of Computers in the Service of Society: The Congressional Role." Computers

in the Service of Society (Robert L. Chartrand, ed.) New York, Pergamon

Press, 1972. pp. 147-158.



George E. Brown, Jr. "Implications for the Role of Government in

Information Age Policy." Critical Issues in the Information Age (Robert Lee

Chartrand, ed.) Metuchen, N.J. and London, The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1991.

pp. 20-28.



Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government. Science,

Technology, and Congress: Analysis and Advice From the Congressional

Support Agencies. New York, Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and

Government, October 1991. 70 pp. Robert Lee Chartrand. "Information

Technology in the Legislative Process: 1976-1985." Annual Review of

Information Science and Technology, v. 21, 1986: 203-239.



Robert Lee Chartrand and Jane Bortnick. State Legislature Use of

Information Technology. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press (1978). 308 pp.



Robert Lee Chartrand, Kenneth Janda, and Michael Hugo, eds. Information

Support, Program Budgeting, and the Congress. New York, Spartan

Books, 1968. 231 pp.



Domestic Information for Decision Making: A New Alternative. Washington,

D.C., Domestic Information Display System, Office of Federal Statistical

Policy and Standards, Department of Commerce, (1978). 12 pp. Beth Krevitt

Eres, ed. Legal and Legislative Information Processing. Westport, CT,

Greenwood Press, 1980. 299 pp.



Lea Fowlie. "House Information Systems Online Services: Today and

Tomorrow." Government Information Quarterly, v. 8, no. 3, 1991: 285-291.



Stephen E. Frantzich. Computers in Congress: The Politics of Information.

Beverly Hills, CA, Sage Publications, Inc., 1982. 285 pp.



General Accounting Office. Information Management and Technology Issues.

GAO Transition Series, GAO/OCG-93-5TR. Washington, D.C., U.S. Government

Printing Office, December 1992. 33 pp.



General Services Administration. Optical Disc: A Federal Progress Report.

Washington, D.C., General Services Administration, September 1992. 14 pp.



Howard Gleckman, John Carey, Russell Mitchell, Tim Smart, and Chris

Roush. "The Technology Payoff." Special report. Business Week,

June 14, 1993: 56-68.



Jeffrey C. Griffith. "The Development of Information Technology in the

Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress." Government

Information Quarterly, v. 8, no. 3, 1991: 293-307. House Information

Systems. Catalog of Information Systems