In a policy statement on the Interior appropriations bill
(HR-4568) the Bush administration objected to several
provisions affecting its contracting-out and e-government
initiatives. The statement said the administration “strongly
opposes provisions that would restrict entities funded
under this bill from improving program management through
competitive sourcing. The bill unnecessarily limits the
funds that may be spent on competitive sourcing studies
and faces agencies to make decisions based solely on cost
considerations, rather than both cost and quality.
“The administration has adopted a reasoned and responsible
approach for ensuring the fair and effective application of
competition, including measures to share successful
practices and take prompt corrective action where results
fall short of expectations,” the statement said, citing a
recent administration report estimating savings from
competitive sourcing of more than $1 billion over the next
three to five years.
The administration also objected to provisions that it said
would prevent the agencies from implementing key elements
of the e-government initiative, a part of the President’s
Management Agenda. “The provision prohibits funds to
implement Safecom, disaster management, e-training and
e-rulemaking, and will hamper achieving the goal of
e-government, which is to create a more citizen-centered
government rather than an agency-centered one. Without
full agency participation, the federal government’s ability
to deliver information and services to the citizen will
be greatly undermined.”