Federal Budget & Tax

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Thursday, June 16, 2005

Testimony On Government Performance Issues

On Tuesday, there was a hearing before the Senate subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security (a subcommittee of Homeland Security) on performance measures and how they are used in the federal budget process. Dr. Beryl Radin, who has worked extensively on PART and other government performance and management issues, testified before members of the committee, specifically Sens. Carper (D-DE) and Coburn (R-OK). Her testimony can be read here.

Posted by Becky Lewis, 06:23:09 PM

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

DeLay Announces Delays in Budget Process Reform

House Majority Leader DeLay today said floor consideration of the budget process bill spearheaded by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), and other conservatives has been delayed. "We've been put back just a little bit because we've asked a lot of the Appropriations Committee and a lot of [Appropriations] Chairman Lewis," DeLay told reporters today. "He's a vital part of budget process reform, and he's asked us to sort of give him a leave of absence until he gets all 11 appropriations bills done."

Lewis has said repeatedly he will have all 13 appropriations bills finished by the July 4 recess in three weeks. Hensarling's bill would give the budget the force of law, as well as eliminate the practice of emergency spending bills, limit entitlement spending, and establish a committee to study waste, fraud, and abuse. DeLay said he was hopeful they could introduce a bill before the August break, but did not elaborate on a deadline.

Read the latest Watcher article on these proposed budget process reforms.

Posted by Adam Hughes, 05:32:13 PM

Senate Hearing Today on Govt. Accountability and Results

Today at 2:00 pm in Dirksen 562, there is a hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs regarding accountability and results in federal budgeting. The hearing will focus on the specific metrics and tools (e.g., the Program Assessment Rating Tool, or PART) used by the OMB to determine the effectiveness of federal programs, the advantages and disadvantages of using these metrics, and how information provided by these metrics is being used to increase effectiveness and accountability in federal budgeting.

Witnesses include GAO Comptroller David Walker, OMB Deputy Director Clay Johnson III, Research Fellow on government accountability issues Eileen Norcross, and Professor of Government and Public Administration at the University of Baltimore Dr. Beryl Radin. OMB Watch recently wrote an op-ed on PART, the President's tool for managing federally funded programs. The op-ed finds that FY 2006 budget cuts were made based on ideology?not on a measured, objective system of program evaluation.

Posted by Becky Lewis, 10:46:48 AM