Robert T. Sprouse on Financial Reporting.
评论了美国国会介入FASB制定会计准则的历史，以1975年能源政策与节约法案为例，说明国会要求SEC制定统一石油天然气会计方法，并允许依赖FASB标准，过程中遭遇了部分采用完全成本法者的强烈反对。
Abstract This article presents a commentary on the involvement of the U.S. Congress in matters related to the accounting standards formulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The author notes that since the establishment of the FASB, congressional committees have conducted three separate investigations of issues involving, at least in part, the FASB's standard setting activities. In this context, the author cites that the severe energy crisis experienced by the U.S. during 1974 prompted the Congress to enact the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. Among its many provisions, the Act called for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to develop a uniform method of accounting for the exploration and production activities of oil and gas producing companies, and expressly provided that in doing so the SEC could rely on standards developed by the FASB. The next two years involved an intensive effort on the part of the FASB to consider the issues without compromising in any way its due process procedures. Strong opposition by some of those who had been using the full costing method was evident throughout the process.