Comments on H.R. 4623, NATO Mutual Support Act of 1979

GAO reviewed proposed legislation to give the Secretary of Defense authority to enter into agreements with NATO countries and subsidiary bodies to further operational and cross-servicing of forces. The terms of the proposed legislation were found to be broad and sweeping, failed to meet the objective of simply and concisely covering the needed authority, and would significantly impact upon other legislation. Although sympathetic to the needs of the Department of Defense, GAO felt that enactment of the proposed legislation would be inadvisable because it went well beyond what was needed.