As President Calls for Greater Transparency, Cornyn Suggests Federal Sunset Commission to Eliminate Waste

Press Release

Following the Administration's unveiling of their "Campaign to Cut Government Waste,' U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today called on the White House to support his proposal to create a Federal Sunset Commission that examines programs to identify wasteful spending and duplicative programs:

"If the President is serious about boosting transparency and eliminating government waste, he would do well to start with one of the recommendations of his own fiscal commission -- to establish a federal sunset commission based on the successful Texas model.

"Thousand of duplicative federal programs waste hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars every year, and my proposal will bring a successful, proven program from Texas to Washington.

"A Federal Sunset Commission to identify wasteful spending and duplicative programs would be a constructive and meaningful first step to eliminating government waste, and demonstrate the Administration's sincerity on this issue."

Last week, Sen. Cornyn filed an amendment to the EDA Reauthorization Bill that would create an eight-member bipartisan commission, including four U.S. Senators and four U.S. Representatives, who will examine the effectiveness and efficiency of federal programs and agencies. The commission would make recommendations on whether these programs require reform or should be eliminated all together. The proposal is modeled after the efforts of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, created in 1977, that has led to the elimination of dozens of agencies that have outlived their usefulness and have saved Texas taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

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