The House Republican leadership plans to continue a focus on agency management in the new Congress that convenes in January, according to a planning document that cites “government competency” as a major issue to be addressed through oversight hearings and legislation.
“Every week seems to bring a new revelation of government agencies failing to accomplish their core functions,” says the memo from Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. It cites the VA patient scheduling and treatment scandal, the missing emails at the IRS, problems with the Affordable Care Act website, security lapses at the White House and more.
“The recent blunders and scandals are not just the product of failed policy, but represent serious management failures by the President and his administration… Inefficient, ineffective, and incompetent federal agencies along with failed government policies have real world consequences,” it said.
It said the 2015 legislative agenda will focus on “reforming and streamlining federal agencies so government works as it should” and invited committees to plan areas of focus under their jurisdiction.
One major committee in that regard will be the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, whose chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., is scheduled to leave due to term limits on chairmanships. A successor could be named in the coming weeks.
