will accept. Territory officials believe OTIA is too small to argue persuasively the territories' case within Interior and with OMB. As a result, the territories frequently submit budget requests directly to Congress. The recent 1985 fiscal year budget requests from Guam and the Virgin Islands illustrate the problem. Guam submitted a $211 million request to Interior which OTIA pared down to $2 Million. However, OMB eliminated the entire request. Guam subsequently requested $62 million directly from Congress. The Congress approved $5.7 million for Guam for fiscal year 1985. . In February 1984, the Virgin Islands asked a House Committee for $18 million for fiscal year 1985. No formal budget request was submitted to Interior. The budget director for the Virgin Island government said there was no reason to involve Interior in the process because it is ineffective in getting budget requests through to Congress. In general, territory officials believe their funding needs are not being adequately addressed by Interior, even though OTIA is usually sympathetic to them. Some believe territory directly to OMB and Congress _barriers within Interior. to budgets should eliminate the be submitted institutional Some Interior officials acknowledge that constraints exist in the budget process and that at times the territories receive low priority. They said OTIA must compete with other Interior offices as well as conform to budget targets established by OMB. OTIA's budget officer said that territories might be better off if they were part of an independent agency which did not have to compete with many other offices. is Interior officials also point out that part of OTIA's role to insure fiscal the territories’ accountability and therefore to scrutinize budget requests to insure they are legitimate. OTIA officials acknowledge that conflict exists between an advo- cacy role and fiscal accountability. However, they believe that some of the territories set unrealistic expectations in their budget requests and then blame Interior for not having them realized. The Assistant Secretary for OTIA said territory budg- ets should review funds. not process be like "rubber those stamped" of any but other should go requestor through of a federal Advocacy role questioned tial Many territory officials believe Interior is not influenenough to adequately represent their interests with the rest of the federal establishment, especially in policy~-related areas For matters. They outside believe its Interior jurisdiction. does 45 not have example, much Guam "clout" in officials