Statement on Signing the National Bureau of Standards Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987

October 28, 1986

While I am signing into law H.R. 4354, the National Bureau of Standards Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987, I want to express a strong concern regarding one aspect of the Federal personnel provisions contained in the bill. Some of these provisions are similar to those contained in my proposed Civil Service Simplification Act as introduced in the 99th Congress.

However, unlike my proposal which requires cost-neutral implementation and which is intended to be phased in gradually governmentwide, this bill explicitly rejects cost neutrality as a requirement of implementation. Moreover, because the provisions of this bill apply to only one program, they threaten fragmentation of the Federal personnel system. This I cannot allow to happen.

Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm my intention to work with the 100th Congress to produce major reforms of the personnel system to tie pay more closely to performance and to simplify inefficient structures and processes. Such reforms must be introduced systematically, governmentwide, and in a cost-neutral fashion.

Note: H.R. 4354, approved October 28, was assigned Public Law No. 99 - 574.