WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Mike Braun (R-IN) to improve government effectiveness has advanced in the Senate. The legislation makes permanent and expands the Office of Executive Councils (Office) at the General Services Administration (GSA) – which provides administrative and project management services for federal agencies to help them meet performance goals. The Office helps support government-wide councils that are critical to implementing the President’s Management Agenda – which defines management priorities for all federal agencies to improve the operations and performance of the federal government. The Office also keeps records of how congressionally appropriated funds to implement the President’s Management Agenda are being spent. The senators’ bill would ensure the Office is required to provide Congress with a greater level of transparency on how these taxpayer dollars are used to purchase services like modern information technology that improve government operations. The bill was advanced by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where Peters serves as Chair, and now moves to the full Senate for consideration. The legislation builds on Peters and Braun’s bill – which has already advanced in the Senate – to bolster transparency and accountability for federal agency performance goals.
“The President’s Management Agenda is a vital part of every administration’s plan to improve how the government works for the American people. To ensure its effective implementation, federal agencies must receive the necessary tools to meet their performance goals,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will not only help ensure federal agencies have the support and resources they need to be more accountable to the Americans people, but also help ensure they use taxpayers’ dollars efficiently and effectively to meet their goals.”
“I came from my business to Washington because I think the government should run more efficiently, like a well-run business. I’m proud that our bill to improve government performance and increase accountability to get results for taxpayers is one step closer to being signed into law,” said Senator Braun.
The Government–wide Executive Councils Administration and Results Improvement Act will make permanent and expand the Office of Executive Councils at the General Services Administration (GSA). The legislation increases accountability for government-wide performance goals by requiring greater transparency for the funds collected and used to support the President’s Management Agenda. The legislation also increases visibility into council decision-making and project execution by streamlining leadership roles and responsibilities of the primary government–wide councils. Finally, the bill also requires each council to develop strategic plans and to post those plans publicly, so Congress and the public can better understand council priorities, see how those priorities directly contribute to the President’s Management Agenda and enable more effective oversight of critical government–wide management challenges.
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