WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve government effectiveness by making permanent and expanding 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 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.
“In every administration, the President’s Management Agenda is critical to advancing a more efficient and accountable government for the American people. That is why we must provide federal agencies with support and resources they need to effectively implement it,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill will also provide greater transparency and accountability on how federal agencies are using taxpayer dollars to meet their performance goals and better serve communities in Michigan and across the nation.”
“I came from my business to Washington because I think the government should run more efficiently, like a well-run business. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Peters to improve government performance and increase accountability to taxpayers to get results,” said Senator Braun.
The Governmentwide 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 the council decision-making and project execution by streamlining leadership roles and responsibilities of the primary governmentwide 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 governmentwide management challenges.
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