Reading Room Document

S. 421, A Bill to Require the Comptroller General to Ascertain Increases in the Cost of Major Acquisition Programs of Civilian Agencies and to Limit the Expenditure of Federal Funds to Carry Out Those Programs

Proposed legislation, if construed to give the Comptroller General, a legislative officer, discretionary authority to review Executive Branch acquisition programs and to cut off funds to those programs, would violate the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/23536/download.

September 23, 1983