Report of the Commission on Government ... - Bayhdolecentral
Report of the Commission on Government ... - Bayhdolecentral
Report of the Commission on Government ... - Bayhdolecentral
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Legal and Administrative Remedies<br />
prescribe <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> criteria to be followed. The<br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r restricti<strong>on</strong>s and requirements c<strong>on</strong>tained<br />
in Public Law 85-804 would c<strong>on</strong>tinue to apply.<br />
In proposing this extensi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Public Law<br />
85-804, we have c<strong>on</strong>sidered <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> possibility<br />
that excess!ve use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> authorities provided<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> act might undermine important requirements<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r statutes and sound procurement<br />
policy. We believe this is highly unlikely in<br />
view <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> specific c<strong>on</strong>trols c<strong>on</strong>tained in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
act and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementing regulati<strong>on</strong>s. A major<br />
functi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> act has been to compensate<br />
for gaps in routine procurement authority<br />
which inevitably arise, and its future utilizati<strong>on</strong><br />
should c<strong>on</strong>tinue <strong>on</strong> this basis.<br />
In eliminating <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> single objective <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> "facilitating<br />
nati<strong>on</strong>al defense," it also will be important<br />
that criteria be established for certain<br />
types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> acti<strong>on</strong>s-such as amendments without<br />
c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> in essentiality cases. We<br />
believe <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se criteria should be left to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regulati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
prescribed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> President, and could<br />
be developed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Office <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Federal Procurement<br />
Policy.<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong> 23. Incorporate Public Law<br />
85-804 into <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> primary procurement statute.<br />
Maintaining Public Law 85-804 separate<br />
from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> primary procurement statutes seems<br />
to serve no special purpose if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> statute is<br />
to have <strong>Government</strong>-wide applicati<strong>on</strong>. Accordingly,<br />
we believe <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> provisi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this act<br />
should be integrated with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic procurement<br />
statute recommended in Part A, Chapter<br />
3.<br />
Dissenting Positi<strong>on</strong>:<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong>s 21-23<br />
One <str<strong>on</strong>g>Commissi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>er does not favor <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following reas<strong>on</strong>s:<br />
The modificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a c<strong>on</strong>tract without c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong><br />
is an extraordinary legal remedy<br />
which reas<strong>on</strong>ably should be limited to promoting<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> nati<strong>on</strong>al defense in time <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> emergency.<br />
The settlement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> breach <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tract claims<br />
would be possible under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> broadened powers<br />
available to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> procuring agencies and administrative<br />
disputes-resolving forums under<br />
I<br />
II<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong> 5. There is already o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r provisi<strong>on</strong><br />
for correcti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mistakes, and informal<br />
commitments may generally be formalized by<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ratificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> commitment by an<br />
authorized <strong>Government</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficial. While <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />
acti<strong>on</strong>s may perhaps be handled somewhat<br />
more expeditiously under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Public Law 85<br />
804 procedure, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re seems little purpose in<br />
extending <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> duplicati<strong>on</strong> bey<strong>on</strong>d <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present statute. The o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r available<br />
acti<strong>on</strong>s under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law are generally also <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> type most appropriate for use within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
limits established by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present act.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g>s to C<strong>on</strong>gress<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong> 24. Revise existing requirements<br />
in Public Law 85-804 <strong>on</strong> reporting to<br />
C<strong>on</strong>gress.<br />
Public Law 85-804 requires that completed<br />
acti<strong>on</strong>s involving <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> exercise <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> powers<br />
provided for in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> act be reported to C<strong>on</strong>gress<br />
annually." To keep C<strong>on</strong>gress informed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
expenditure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> large sums <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> m<strong>on</strong>ey pursuant<br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> exercise <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> special management powers<br />
we recommend that c<strong>on</strong>tracting agencies be<br />
required to inform C<strong>on</strong>gress prior to taking<br />
any acti<strong>on</strong> that would obligate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> United<br />
States for an amount in excess <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> $1 milli<strong>on</strong>.<br />
In all o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r instances we recommend that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
c<strong>on</strong>tracting agencies c<strong>on</strong>tinue to make reports<br />
to C<strong>on</strong>gress about all acti<strong>on</strong>s taken under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
c<strong>on</strong>tractual fairness and special management<br />
powers in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same manner as is now provided<br />
in Public Law 85-804.<br />
One <str<strong>on</strong>g>Commissi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g>er believes $5 milli<strong>on</strong> represents<br />
a more realistic figure for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> threshold<br />
reporting requirement to C<strong>on</strong>gress.<br />
Administrati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Authority<br />
In defining <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> authority delegated<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>tracting agencies by Public Law 85-804<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> situati<strong>on</strong>s in which that authority may<br />
be used, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementing regulati<strong>on</strong>s do not<br />
ro50 u.s.c. § 1434 (1970).<br />
59