The Senate Budget Committee has held hearings on the issue of duplication and overlap in federal programs, an issue cited in a recent GAO report saying citing that as an ongoing problem of government management.
Sponsors of a bipartisan bill (S-236) used the opportunity to push their plan to create a DoD base closings commission-like procedure that could overcome resistance to eliminate certain programs by bundling many of them together.
The measure would require the President to submit to Congress a joint resolution implementing the GAO’s recommendations. The legislation would also require the President to provide Congress with a report that explains whether any GAO recommendations are excluded and the reason for their omission. Congress would then vote on the joint resolution within ten days.
The bill also includes a requirement that any savings achieved from implementing the GAO’s recommendations be used solely for deficit reduction.
