Economy & Budget

There is one goal that I would like to think all of my colleagues can agree upon: ensuring that Federal agencies are held accountable to taxpayers. Periodically reviewing government agencies will result in more effective and efficient operations. Greater fiscal restraint is needed, and it would be beneficial for Congress to ensure the effectiveness of government agencies and programs. The Government Efficiency Act will provide greater accountability to the American Taxpayer and I urge its passage.

Ronald Reagan once said, "A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth."  Regrettably, that longevity has nothing to do with the program or agency's effectiveness or usefulness to the American people.  As a result, the Federal bureaucracy is bloated with programs that duplicate one another, that fail to accomplish anything other than prolong their own perpetuity, and that outlive the problems and constituencies they were meant to serve.  The indpendent commission established by the Government Efficiency Act will review Federal programs and agencies and make sure they still have relevance to the people's government.  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and pleased that language I authored is included in the bill.  Under my language, the established review process will include a check on the Constitutionality of those programs and agencies.  If the Constitution doesn't sustain existence of the program, the taxpayers shouldn't have to either.

This legislation will help ensure that we spend taxpayers’ money more efficiently. The GEA will provide for greater review of how programs are working and hold Washington more accountable for the money it spends. The Commission the GEA creates will review spending, but it will not have the power to automatically eliminate any program. This legislation is a good step forward in eliminating waste and making certain that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.

Federal agencies impose thousands of new regulations every year without any legislative authority or oversight. Inefficient and burdensome regulations cost American business millions of dollars each year, stifling job growth and expansion. Congress must put unelected bureaucracies on notice that over-reaching and un-justified rulemakings can bring irreparable harm to the American economy and will not be tolerated in the future.

Ronald Reagan understood the importance of regulatory reform. In his first inaugural speech on January 20, 1981, he eloquently stated, "Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Increased accountability will lead to more efficient practices in government agencies and fewer wasted resources for the American family.

I'm a co-sponsor of the Government Efficiency Act (GEA) because I believe we need to cut government spending. Rep. Todd Tiahrt's GEA will create a commission that will review government agencies and programs, and weed out government waste, fraud, and abuse. It is clear that we don't have the tools or resources to look at every program and find where we are wasting money. Rep Tiahrt's idea would change that. His GEA would be a big solution to controlling government spending, and I fully support his effort.

Later this week, the House will vote on the Government Efficiency Act (GEA). Contrary to media reports, this is not a sunset bill. The GEA simply establishes the framework for a bipartisan federal government review commission that would be given the task of recommending ways to make the federal government more efficient. It neither automatically eliminates programs nor automatically closes federal agencies.

A Commission recommendation on government efficiency would go through the regular committee process on an expedited schedule. Committees could amend the recommendation before it goes to the full body for a mandatory vote. The Commission would be a helpful tool for Congress to provide better oversight over the federal government, and I am hopeful it will receive bipartisan support.

Today I joined with the Center for American Progress in releasing a report card that graded the Bush Administration's Iraq policy on four key areas:

*        Security and Stability: F
*        Governance and Democracy: C+
*        Economic Reconstruction: D-
*        Iraq's Impact on U.S. National Security: F

This report card is a sobering report.  Too often this Administration has dealt in slogans and glib assumptions.  This is an accurate assessment of where we are and what we must do to really make progress. Read more...

Today, I was joined by other leading Democrats to propose the PROGRESS Act, a comprehensive bill that will lead America in a New Direction towards energy independence.  Making our nation energy independent is vital to our national security, our economic security, and our environment, and we can't let another day pass without action.  We owe it to future generations of Americans.

I think that it will certainly make Nevada more prominent. I would love to see the Republicans join them, but obviously the chances of that are a lot slimmer. It will bring more national attention to our state and that is good. It will help the local economy when people are visiting our state.

Earlier this year, the VA was entertaining a proposal to curtail the hours of operation at VA Medical Center emergency rooms across the country, including one right in my home state of New Hampshire.  This proposal would have hurt veterans.  When faced with a dire medical emergency, the last thing a veteran and his or her family should be considering is the potential out-of-pocket costs incurred from visiting a private medical facility.

Thankfully, the VA has shelved this proposal until they have determined a policy that will allow qualified veterans to be treated at other facilities with the VA assuming responsibility for payment of that care.  To prevent any future proposals similar to this one from being implemented without Congressional or public input, I have introduced legislation in the House that would give Congress ample opportunity for oversight on any proposal that would curtail hours of operation at emergency rooms within the VA Health Care System.  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and ensure that our veterans receive the health care they deserve.