    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [December 6, 1994]
    [Pages 2151-2152]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
    December 6, 1994

        Today Secretary Espy announced that the Department of Agriculture is
    closing over 1,200 field offices across the country. I commend Secretary
    Espy for his leadership and outstanding efforts to make Government
    function better and more productively.
        By creating one-stop-shopping field centers that consolidate a
    multitude of services under one roof, we are showing a true commitment
    to streamline Government and to make it work better and cost less.

    [[Page 2152]]

        When fully implemented, the changes will save about 2.5 million
    hours annually of farmers' time by slashing the paperwork burden and
    reducing other bureaucratic requirements. This streamlining, coupled
    with the overall reorganization of the Department, will save taxpayers
    $3.6 billion over 5 years and serve rural Americans with the common
    sense they deserve. The effort to restructure the USDA has been
    implemented with bipartisan support and is an example of how Democrats
    and Republicans can work together.
        I am proud of the USDA reorganization because it shows that with a
    lot of hard work, Government can be changed to do a much better job with
    fewer dollars. We are making a USDA that makes sense for the customer
    and the taxpayer. Secretary Espy should be commended for implementing
    these changes in a sensible and businesslike way.