Proposed Bipartisan Bill Aims to Improve Government Efficiency, Save Taxpayers Money
As Chair and Vice-chair of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress respectively, Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and William Timmons (R-SC) have focused largely on reforming the institution of Congress. Their latest bill introduced last week—Improving Government for America’s Taxpayers Act (H.R. 262)—is the latest example of this.
Reps. Kilmer and Timmons aim to improve government efficiency and increase taxpayer savings by requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to congressional leaders its most urgent and unmet recommendations to streamline government operations.
The legislation is co-sponsored by House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY), House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Katie Porter (D-CA), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), and John Rutherford (R-FL).
The proposed legislation includes the following action items for GAO:
Organize all open priority recommendations into one succinct report to be sent to members of Congress and relevant committees;
Indicate how long each priority recommendation has been unanswered;
Incorporate the estimated costs for unimplemented priority recommendations, as well as anticipated savings from implementation; and,
Assess any additional Congressional oversight actions that can assist agencies in implementing open priority recommendations and resolving any underlying concerns.
“The work GAO does strengthens Congressional oversight work and legislative efforts to improve federal programs. This bill will help raise the profile of GAO recommendations for Congress and make them a more available resource for the legislative branch as we work to make government more responsive and effective,” stated Chairman Connolly.
GAO generated over $77 billion in benefits for Congress and the American people in 2020—that's a return of about $114 for every dollar invested in the agency. In fact, the agency's 2021 Duplication and Cost Savings Report detailed 112 cost-effective actions for Congress and federal agencies to take to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs and activities. Yet, Congress and relevant agencies rarely act upon the reports GAO releases with priority recommendations.
In 2020, Rep. Kilmer joined FEDtalk host Jason Briefel with Congressional reform advocate Daniel Schuman, co-founder of Demand Progress, to discuss potential efficient and effective amendments to government practices. Since then, the committee has approved 85 recommendations. In total, the committee has implemented 29 recommendations which include supporting employee assistance, improving accessibility at the Capitol, and establishing the Congressional Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.
