Cornyn Introduces Bill To Hold Federal Agencies, Programs Accountable

Press Release

Cornyn Introduces Bill To Hold Federal Agencies, Programs Accountable

In an effort to establish greater accountability for government programs and agencies, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Budget Committee, has introduced legislation to create a federal "sunset" commission to evaluate all unauthorized, expired federal agencies and programs the government continues to fund. The United States Authorization and Sunset Commission Act of 2007, S. 1731, would require the commission to then make recommendations to Congress. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.

"Most federal programs are authorized by Congress only for a certain number of years, but unfortunately, many accounts are funded year after year because there are small, but vocal, interest groups backing them—and no effective Congressional oversight to determine when ideas have run their course," Sen. Cornyn said. "This legislation is an important step toward getting our fiscal house in order and making sure Congress gets back to the hard work of oversight to determine if programs actually fulfill their stated purpose or yield some unintended or counterproductive results."

The legislation is modeled after the sunset process that Texas instituted in 1977 to identify and eliminate waste, duplication and inefficiency in government agencies. This process has led to the elimination of dozens of agencies that have outlived their usefulness and has saved Texas taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Approximately half of the states use a similar process.

"Periodic assessments are essential to good government and this is what the Commission will provide to Congress and to taxpayers across the country. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important legislation," Sen. Cornyn added.

The United States Authorization and Sunset Commission Act of 2007 would:

* Create an eight member bipartisan Commission, made up of four Senators and four Representatives, that will look at the effectiveness and efficiency of federal programs and agencies.
* Establish 10 criteria for the Commission to use in developing its schedule and review proposal and its recommendations to Congress on whether agencies and programs should be abolished, streamlined, consolidated or reauthorized with recommendations for improvements.
* Require the Commission to submit a legislative proposal to Congress at least once every 10 years that includes a review schedule of at least 25 percent of unauthorized federal agencies or programs and at least 25 percent of ineffective federal programs or where effectiveness cannot be shown by the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART).
* Call on the Commission to review each of the federal programs and agencies identified in the Schedule and Review proposal. The Commission will provide its findings and submit a legislative proposal necessary to implement their recommendations to Congress and the President every other year. Congress will have two years to consider and pass the Commission's recommendations or to reauthorize the program or agency before it is abolished.

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