U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, a Republican, last week joined Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos to introduce the Government Waste Reduction Act, a bill to root out waste in government and reduce duplicative services.
“Cutting down on government waste is a step in the right direction as we strive to get our fiscal house in order without jeopardizing essential programs,” Fitzpatrick said. “By working together, we can follow through on waste reduction plans already in place — giving us common ground to begin the larger discussion on reining in government spending and reducing our $18 trillion national debt.
“As a member of No Labels, I’m proud to once again introduce this smart legislation with Congresswoman Bustos and increase the number of members looking to fix the way Washington spends, not just fight.”
This bill moves forward on recommendations that the Government Accountability Office made in reports to Congress.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates it could achieve $21 billion in savings as a result of implementing widespread use of fraud detection systems. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that enhancing online services, such as providing taxpayers with the ability to access account information, would produce hundreds of millions of dollars in savings through operational efficiencies.
The Fitzpatrick-Bustos bill is an enhanced and updated version of a similar bill introduced in the 113th Congress. The bill includes two additional GAO reports that were released since the original 2013 bill introduction, as well as a mechanism to further evaluate government efficiency and set up a repository for best practices to support agencies in efforts to improve effectiveness.
Specifically, the Government Waste Reduction Act would establish the Independent Government Waste Reduction Board, which would be tasked with developing legislative proposals related to the GAO recommendations; assess federal programs for economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and set up a repository for best practices to support agencies in efforts to improve effectiveness.
Fitzpatrick, a Republican, is serving his fourth and final term in the House of Representatives. The 8th Congressional District includes all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.
