Harry S. Truman photo

Statement by the President on Government Printing and Binding.

July 05, 1949

I HAVE today signed H.R. 4878, "To authorize certain Government printing, binding, and blank-book work elsewhere than at the Government Printing Office if approved by the Joint Committee on Printing." In giving my approval to this measure, I wish to call attention to my belief that many of the present laws pertaining to public printing are obsolete and impose unduly cumbersome requirements upon both the Joint Committee on Printing of the Congress and the agencies of the executive branch

The act of January 12, 1895, as amended, established the Joint Committee on Printing and gave it power "to adopt and employ such measures as in its discretion may be deemed necessary to remedy any neglect, delay, duplication or waste in the public printing and binding and the distribution of Government publications." The act also requires that "all printing, binding and blank-book work for the Congress, Executive Office, Judiciary, and every Executive Department, independent office, and establishment of the Government shall be done at the Government Printing Office, except such classes of work as shall be deemed by the Joint Committee on Printing to be urgent or necessary to have done elsewhere than in the District of Columbia for the exclusive use of any field service outside of said District." Under these authorities, enacted over 50 years ago, and before the development of modern substitutes for printing, the Joint Committee on Printing now is required to exercise duties which, if carried out to the letter of the law, would be very onerous and would represent an invasion of the rights of the executive branch by a legislative committee. Only close collaboration and the adoption of broad exemptions have kept the system workable.

It is proper for the Congress to exercise its constitutional powers by defining areas within which printing and binding for the executive branch may be carried on, but restrictions imposed by the Congress should be left to the executive agencies to administer.

Although the original act has always represented an undesirable mixing of congressional and Executive responsibilities, the difficulties of operation under Joint Committee control were not serious so long as "printing and binding" referred only to processes involving the use of printing presses. Now, however, regulations issued by the Joint Committee on Printing, in July 1948, bring the product of most duplicating equipment within the definition of printing and binding. While this extension of definition recognizes the use of duplicating equipment for production of printing, it also magnifies difficulties of operation that have always been implicit.

It would seem to me inappropriate by Executive disapproval of H.R. 4878 to repudiate action of the Joint Committee to carry out responsibilities vested in it by law. Therefore, I am approving the present bill in order to insure that transaction of the Government's printing and duplicating business during the current fiscal year may proceed with as little confusion as possible. However, I believe that we can attain a better system for the administration of printing and binding.

Such a system should not involve a requirement that a committee of Congress administer Executive functions. It should provide a means for the executive branch to carry on its printing in accordance with any policies that the Congress may wish to enact into law. Accordingly, I have requested the Acting Administrator of General Services to review all statutory authorities pertaining to printing and binding for the executive branch of the Government and to present to me, prior to January 1, 1950, recommendations designed to accomplish three purposes: (1) to bring up to date our printing statutes, (2) to provide a basis for maintaining the proper respective roles of the executive and the legislative branches, and (3) to establish appropriate definitions for various classes of printed and duplicated materials. I have further requested the Administrator to consult with and to seek the cooperation of the Public Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing, insofar as they may wish to participate in this study. It is my expectation to present the report and recommendations for legislation to the second session of the 81st Congress.

Note: As enacted, H.R. 4878 is Public Law 156 (63 Stat. 405).

Harry S Truman, Statement by the President on Government Printing and Binding. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/229685

Filed Under

Categories

Simple Search of Our Archives