George Miller: “earlier this year three committees came together, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on the Budget, and the…”

“earlier this year three committees came together, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on the Budget, and the Committee on Resources, to hear about the problems, the financial problems of the U.S. Forest Service. The Committee on Resources and the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations gathered to hear the GAO's report on a decade's worth of reports that they have done over the past years which conclude that the lack of financial performance accountability has resulted in inefficiency and waste by the Forest Service. To make the Forest Service accountable, I think the way to do this is to take their off-budget funds and subject them to appropriations. The Forest Service has 23 special accounts amounting to more than one-third of their total budget, according to the Congressional Research Service. These funds, which now receive little congressional oversight, ought to be subject to appropriation, and I have introduced legislation to do that. But this bill, this current bill does nothing to improve the Forest Service's accountability.”