President's Eighth Special Message for Fiscal Year 1981

The President's eighth special message concerning fiscal year 1981 was transmitted to Congress.

The special message proposes 33 rescissions of budget authority totalling $2.8 billion and one new deferral totalling $8.0 million. In response to the President's fifth special message, GAO had stated that, if the rescissions were later resubmitted, the temporary conversion to deferrals should not result in the President having a new 45-day withholding period but should only toll the running of the 45-day period. Therefore, since 22 days had already run before the conversion to deferrals took place, the rescissions resubmitted in this special message were subject to a 23-day withholding period. The review of apportionment forms furnished by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shows that the subject budget authority was apportioned by OMB to the proper agencies for allotment to the programs involved since none of the proposed rescissions have been enacted. GAO believes that the proposed deferral is in accordance with existing authority.