[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E1493]]



                PERMANENT PERFORMANCE REVIEW ACT OF 1996

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FRANKS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce the 
Permanent Performance Review Act of 1996. This bill would apply 
performance reviews to all of the agencies and departments of the 
Federal Government and thus enable Congress to tackle more effectively 
both our Government's budget and performance deficits.
  Performance reviews enable an organization to measure how successful 
a program or office is in reaching its goals. With such information in 
hand, those responsible for making a budget can do a better job in 
allocating the available resources.
  The Permanent Performance Review Act would enable Congress to 
develop, in coordination with the executive branch, a better picture of 
the successes and failures among its myriad of programs and 
departments. Congress could then target more intelligently its 
resources so that the American taxpayer gets better performance from a 
reduced number of federally supported programs. Performance reviews 
would enable Congress to tackle more effectively both the Government's 
budget deficit and performance deficit.
  This bill recognizes that real change will only take place when there 
is an institutionalized, permanent, and cooperative effort on the part 
of Congress, the Federal bureaucracy and the President to increase 
Government's efficiency and to build a framework that can be used to 
reduce and then eliminate our credit card spending. Whether under 
Presidents Kennedy, Carter, or Reagan, every recent drive to improve 
the efficiency of the Federal Government has failed because it was 
sabotaged by at least one of these three stakeholders who was never 
allowed to participate as a full partner at the decisionmaking table. 
It must be a team effort, able to draw upon the support of the American 
people's desire for smaller, more efficient government.
  My bill would establish a permanent commission which would provide 
that participation for the Congress, the Federal bureaucracy, and the 
President. The Permanent Performance Review Commission would be 
appointed by both the President and congressional leaders. The 
Commission would be responsible for managing self-studies to be 
conducted over time by all the major Federal agencies. The Commission 
would hold hearings and consult with the appropriate congressional 
committee leaders in developing their final performance reviews and 
related legislative recommendations.
  After receiving a performance review, the appropriate standing 
committee of the House would hold its own hearings and review all of 
the legislative recommendations of the Commission. These 
recommendations would become the basis for a bill that would be 
required to receive consideration on the floor of the House.
  Mr. Speaker, truly effective performance reviews would ensure that 
Congress can reform this Government so that it serves the best 
interests of all of our citizens. I thank those members of the Budget 
Committee who are original cosponsors of this measure and urge all my 
colleagues to support the bill.

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