[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         REINVENTING GOVERNMENT

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my 
Washington Report for Wednesday, October 5, 1994, into the 
Congressional Record.

                         Reinventing Government

       Americans have traditionally been suspicious of big 
     government, but in recent years this healthy skepticism has 
     hardened into a corrosive cynicism--a belief among many 
     citizens that government is inherently wasteful, intrusive, 
     and arrogant. This attitude ignores many successful and 
     popular government programs such as social security, medical 
     research and the interstate highway system. But for 
     government to confront the pressing social and economic 
     problems of the day, steps must be taken to improve public 
     confidence in government. The federal government today does 
     need an overhaul. We simply have to make it work better and 
     cost less.


                               background

       One promising effort launched by the Administration is the 
     National Performance Review (NPR), directed by Vice President 
     Gore. After nine months of extensive study, the NPR outlined 
     its agenda in September of 1993. The report provided an 
     action plan to ``reinvent'' the federal government. Included 
     among the 384 recommendations were proposals to phase out 
     some 252,000 federal jobs over five years, which, along with 
     other streamlining measures would save $108 billion. The Vice 
     President's report also suggested ways to cut red tape and 
     change the bureaucratic mindset of federal agencies to make 
     them more service-oriented toward the public. At the same 
     time, the proposed elimination of layers of middle management 
     would encourage employees to take the initiative and assume 
     greater responsibility.
       Certainly such an ambitious agenda gives rise to skepticism 
     that it can be pulled off. While there have been repeated 
     efforts to reform the federal bureaucracy since the Truman 
     Administration, the Vice President's reinventing government 
     agenda is the most farreaching. Yet it has been largely 
     ignored by the media and many citizens.


                            accomplishments

       Of the 384 recommendations proposed by the NPR last year, 
     90% are under way, with about $47 billion in savings over 
     five years already enacted. Another $16 billion in savings is 
     pending before Congress. Most important, over the past year 
     federal employment has been reduced by about 71,000 full-time 
     positions. As the buyout and streamlining process continues, 
     a total of 272,900 federal jobs will be dropped.
       A proposal to overhaul the $200 billion per year federal 
     procurement system has passed Congress with my support. The 
     resulting streamlining will end government monopolies and 
     subject federal purchases of goods and services to market 
     mechanisms and competition, lowering costs and improving 
     quality. Steps also have been taken to decentralize federal 
     personnel policy. The infamous Standard Form 171, required of 
     all federal job applicants, has been abolished, as has the 
     10,000-page Federal Personnel Manual. More flexible personnel 
     procedures are being developed. Next year the Administration 
     will send Congress legislation to overhaul the civil service 
     system.
       A number of agencies have been restructed to save money and 
     promote more efficient service delivery. For example, the 
     Department of Housing and Urban Development has closed its 10 
     regional management offices. Over the next few years, 21 of 
     the over-seas missions run by the Agency for International 
     Development will be shut down. In addition, President Clinton 
     signed an executive order creating a Community Enterprise 
     Board, chaired by Vice President Gore, to reduce federal 
     regulations. Another executive order prohibits the imposition 
     of unfunded mandates on states and localities without full 
     consultation.
       To make government more responsive to the needs of ordinary 
     citizens, the Administration has implemented an NPR 
     recommendation requiring federal agencies to create formal 
     customer service programs. As a result of another 
     recommendation, the General Services Administration has 
     weeded out over a billion dollars of possible savings from 
     federal real estate and construction programs. And steps have 
     been taken to promote greater accountability and initiative 
     in the federal workforce. The National Partnership Council, 
     made up of top government officials and federal union 
     leaders, has been formed to recommend major changes in the 
     civil service system and promote labor-management 
     cooperation. A Presidential Management Council has been 
     created to supervise the streamlining process government-
     wide.


                                concerns

       Reinventing government has had some important successes 
     during the first year, but some recommendations have stalled. 
     And certain proposals already accepted have drawn criticism.
       Among the proposals not yet implemented are recommendations 
     to streamline the federal budget process by shifting it from 
     an annual to a biennial process. A. proposal to allow 
     agencies to ``roll over'' funds from year to year (and thus 
     curb last-minute spending binges) is still under 
     consideration. Efforts to shift the Food Safety and 
     Inspection Service to the Food and Drug Administration have 
     been blocked, as have proposals to close 1,200 Agriculture 
     Department field offices and several Army Corps of Engineers 
     regional offices.
       More generally, certain of the basic goals of the 
     reinventing government effort have been questioned. Some 
     critics suggest that the cuts taking place may lead to a 
     deterioration in government service or higher costs. Others 
     suggest that federal employee morale is suffering, 
     particularly among mid-level managers whose positions are 
     under fire. In addition, more follow-through from the 
     Administration is needed to get its proposals through 
     Congress. The key budget process reforms, for example, 
     threaten the power of important Members. Agency office 
     closures are often opposed by Members representing 
     constituencies affected by what these offices provide.


                               conclusion

       Reinventing government is off to a good start. We are going 
     forward toward a federal government that works better and 
     costs less, has fewer layers of bureaucracy, and is less 
     bound by excessively rigid rules and procedures. But the hard 
     work has just begun. The greatest risk is that the effort 
     will not be carried on. What is needed is sustained 
     commitment and a higher level of intensity from the 
     Administration and Congress, so that more of the laudable 
     goals of the NPR can become reality, improving government 
     performance and hopefully enhancing the public confidence in 
     government.

                          ____________________