Rodney Frelinghuysen: “This amendment would provide funding to re-create a government agency, as the gentleman mentioned, which was defunded in…”

“This amendment would provide funding to re-create a government agency, as the gentleman mentioned, which was defunded in 1995, 23 years ago. Before we re-create an entire government agency, I believe the most responsible thing to do is to study the need for such an agency and to identify the best path forward. After receiving dozens of requests advocating for the restoration of this funding, this bill has included, through the work of Chairman Yoder--and I am briefly taking his place and have the pleasure of working with Ranking Member Ryan. We have included in the report accompanying this bill language directing the Congressional Research Service to engage with the National Academy of Public Administration or a similar entity to produce a report detailing, first of all, the current technology assessment resources available to Members within the Government Accountability Office, to some extent, which has taken over this responsibility for the last 23 years; also to assess the potential need to create a separate entity; and, lastly, are there parts of what are being suggested here already duplicative within the available resources and services of the legislative branch? For this reason, I oppose the amendment and urge the Members to do so as well. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”