[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW

  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, I rise today to mark the 1 year anniversary 
of the National Performance Review's initial set of recommendations on 
reinventing Government. This morning, during a White House ceremony, 
the President released a follow-up report detailing the many successes 
that have come out of the National Performance Review.
  It is unfortunate that Americans appear to have lost faith in the 
Federal Government. As I travel in my home State of Ohio, many people 
tell me that they don't believe Washington is working for them. From 
business leaders to farmers to students, I hear constantly that people 
cannot rely on the Federal Government to wisely spend the billions in 
tax dollars sent to Washington each year.
  The National Performance Review was initiated to take real steps to 
get us a Government that works better at less cost. And I'm pleased to 
say that over the past year we have seen solid results stemming from 
this effort. Unlike past commissions and reports, I am seeing a 
concentrated reform effort in Government agencies, led by the White 
House, to make Government work better.
  The National Performance Review began in March, 1993, when President 
Clinton tasked Vice President Gore to find ways to improve the 
operations of Government while eliminating waste, fat, fraud, and 
abuse. As chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, I can 
appreciate the magnitude of the Vice President's undertaking.
  For years, I've worked with the General Accounting Office, the 
inspectors general, the chief financial officers and all the other 
officials and organizations devoted to making our Government work more 
efficiently. The committee has held numerous hearings and initiated a 
large number of studies designed to identify and eliminate Government 
waste.
  My personal experience in this area has taught me that, from the 
point of view of the press and other Washington observers, there may 
not be a more dry and dull task than examining the efficiencies of 
Government--yet there may not be a more important task either. While 
the work may make many eyes glaze over, the billions in taxpayer 
dollars that have been and will be, saved make it all worthwhile and 
necessary.

  That's why Vice President Gore has my full support, and sympathy, as 
he continues the excellent work of the National Performance Review. 
Today's report only underscores the significant improvements we've 
already made in improving how the Government works and where we need to 
concentrate our future efforts.
  I am proud to say that many of the National Performance Review's most 
substantial successes have come through work here in Congress--much of 
that work launched by the Governmental Affairs Committee. I am 
particularly pleased with the bipartisan tone this reform effort has 
taken on. During a time when it seems as though partisan battles 
threaten to halt the work of this institution, it is refreshing to see 
that both sides of the aisle can work together toward reinventing 
Government.
  This bipartisanship was first evident in the Governmental Affairs 
Committee, where Senator Roth and I worked to initiate many of the 
proposals now in law or moving through Congress. I was pleased to see 
that spirit on the Senate and House floors as well. A confluence of 
different interests--republicans and democrats, Congress and the 
Executive branch, American business leaders and Government workers--
have come together to help make our Government work more efficiently.
  For example, we are now witnessing the final steps in enacting 
legislation to reform how the Government purchases goods and services. 
This legislation was developed in a cooperative effort among the Senate 
Governmental Affairs, Armed Services and Small Business Committees, 
their counterparts in the House of Representatives, the National 
Performance Review, the Office of Management and Budget, the General 
Services Administration, and the Department of Defense. The Senate 
passed the conference report accompanying procurement reform 
legislation 3 weeks ago and I expect it will soon be approved by the 
House. Republicans and Democrats, Congress and executive branch 
agencies, all participated in crafting this landmark legislation.
  The legislation, which incorporates many recommendations of the 
National Performance Review, will make the Government's procurement 
system more streamlined and manageable for both american businesses and 
Federal agencies. Gone will be the days when a 12-page spec-sheet is 
produced for the simple purchase of oatmeal cookies. And I also hope 
this legislation will end the need for Vice President Gore's ashtray 
smashing days.
  Another significant piece of legislation that had its roots in the 
National Performance Review is the Federal employee buyout bill. This 
legislation, as my colleagues know, also originated in the Governmental 
Affairs Committee and will help downsize the Federal bureaucracy. Right 
now, the Federal Government has a gross imbalance of managers to 
employees. In the private sector, there is a ratio of 1 manager to 
every 12 to 15 employees. However, in the Government, that ratio is 
closer to 1 to 7.

  The bill we enacted is tailored to correct that problem. The buyout 
legislation is a fair and equitable way to do this and will reduce the 
Federal bureaucracy by over 250,000 employees. I might add that the 
money we save through these reductions has been targeted to help reduce 
the threat of crime on our streets.
  This week I hope the Senate will act on yet another National 
Performance Review-related reform proposal, the Government Management 
Reform Act of 1994. This bill reflects additional National Performance 
Review recommendations within the jurisdiction of the Governmental 
Affairs Committee--most notably expansion of the Chief Financial 
Officers Act. I hope once the Senate acts on my bill, the House will 
then pass it and we can quickly send it to the President's desk.
  The Governmental Affairs Committee laid the groundwork for much of 
this reform when it moved the Government Performance and Results Act in 
the summer of 1993. The act, which I coauthored with my colleague 
Senator William Roth, has helped the administration improve the 
performance of Government programs and report to the public on that 
performance. Americans deserve to know how the money they send to 
Washington is being spent and if it's being spent wisely.
  These are only a few of the many reforms flowing from the National 
Performance Review. As we look forward to the next Congress, I would 
like to see the National Performance Review produce far-reaching Civil 
Service reform. This process began with the partnership council between 
the Government and its employees, which has already made some 
improvements. I hope this effort will also result in a concrete 
legislative proposal to reform the Civil Service laws.
  Reinventing Government is a tricky business. Let me stress that all 
the reforms, recommendations, and reports won't amount to much unless 
the people working at the agencies want to change. We must have a work 
force committed to making the Government run more efficiently
  That's where the National Performance Review may have its biggest 
success. Through the Vice President's tireless work over the past 2 
years, we are seeing the sort of change within Government departments 
that will make reform possible. It won't happen overnight, but I think 
we're on the right road.
  I commend President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their 
leadership. President Clinton campaigned with a pledge for change. The 
national performance review represents a solid step on delivering that 
promise, making Government work better and cost less. I look forward to 
continuing my work here in the Senate to bring about the many changes 
needed to restore the Government's credibility among the American 
public.

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