Issue Position: Government Performance

Issue Position

Senator Warner was selected by then Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad to lead a bipartisan Task Force on Governmental Performance in October of 2009. The group continues to look at how the government measures the cost-effectiveness of federal agencies and programs. The goal is to boost efficiency and find cost savings for taxpayers. Chairman Conrad said he selected Senator Warner to serve as chairman of the task force based on his experience as a business leader and as the former governor of Virginia.

Task Force Progress:

* Since it's first meeting, the Task Force has discussed the influence of information technology in performance analysis, the use of data in promoting smarter government decision-making and the importance of modernizing the federal government's information technology systems.

* In addition to holding hearings, the Task Force contributed to the passage of the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 to make government more accountable, efficient and productive.

* Senator Warner invites the public to submit their ideas on how to improve government performance.

Senator Warner's Progress:

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA), bipartisan legislation to improve and expand federal fiscal accountability by requiring standardized reporting of federal spending to be more readily available to citizens and agencies. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-OH) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) are the House sponsors.

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) introduced bipartisan legislation to establish, monitor, and improve customer service delivery across federal agencies. The Government Customer Service Improvement Act would make the federal agency customer service process more transparent and efficient, increase accountability, and reduce the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) chronic backlogs in processing retirement benefits.

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Scott Brown (R-MA) introduced the Civilian Property Realignment Act, bipartisan legislation to sell excess federal real property that could save billions to support deficit reduction.

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) introduced the Reforming and Consolidating Government Act of 2012 that would restore authority for the President to develop re-organization plans and submit them to Congress for expedited review.

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation directing the U.S. Department of Transportation to partner with states and metropolitan areas to develop better performance-based standards to more accurately measure the effectiveness of transportation planning, funding and project management.

Senator Warner chaired a Senate Budget Committee Government Performance Task Force hearing to examine whether the United Kingdom's recent regulatory reforms could provide lessons applicable to Congress' current regulatory reform debate.

Senator Warner sponsored legislation to ensure that federal workers receive retroactive pay for the duration of a potential government shutdown.

Senators Warner (D-VA) and Coburn (R-OK) introduced a bipartisan amendment directing the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to find at least $5 billion in savings identified in a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on reducing government duplication.

Sen. Warner, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee's bipartisan Task Force on Government Performance convened a hearing on duplicative and inefficient federal programs that included testimony from GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Center for American Progress president and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, and former Bush Administration Associate OMB Director Robert Shea.

In January 2011, the President signed into law Senator Warner's Government Performance and Results Modernization Act, requiring federal agencies to identify their top priorities, publicly report results, and identify ineffective and overlapping programs for possible consolidation or elimination.

Senator Warner successfully added four amendments to the Food Safety Modernization Act. The amendments will improve performance metrics and data and promote better coordination between the Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security in inspecting food and reducing duplication of effort.

Senator Warner successfully amended the FY2011 Budget Resolution to require performance measurements for stimulus spending and health care reform, and cut funding for programs identified for elimination by the Office of Management and Budget.

In March 2010, the Senate approved a major jobs bill that included a bipartisan amendment submitted by Senator Warner that would fix gaps in how the federal government is tracking stimulus spending.

In October 2009, Senator Warner held the first meeting of the Task Force and questioned President Obama's Chief Performance Office, Jeff Zients, on how the administration is tracking government performance.

Since the panel's first meeting, Senator Warner invited the public to submit their ideas on how to improve government performance.

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