Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26080385
label
Agriculture (US Department of Agriculture)
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26080385
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Agriculture (US Department of Agriculture)
citationUrl
collections
Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Margaret “Maggie” Williams' Subject Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26080385
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
42-t-2194630-20130359S-Seg2-002-004-2015
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
72d3f81660c4b37a
ocrText
TO GO TO RECORDS
MANA GEMENT
MAGGIE WILLIAMS
A GENCIES FILES
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 26, 1993
"Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993"
FACT SHEET
Today the President transmitted to the Congress the
"Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993." This legislation is
based on the recommendations of the National Performance Review
(NPR).
The NPR began on March 3, 1993, when the President asked
Vice President Gore to conduct an intensive 6-month review of how
the Federal Government works. The Vice President organized a
team of experienced Federal employees from all corners of the
government to examine both agencies and cross-cutting systems,
such as budgeting, financial management, procurement, and
personnel.
The report of the NPR -- "Creating a Government That Works
Better and Costs Less" -- was presented to the President on
September 7, 1993. It includes hundreds of proposals to provide
the American people with a more effective, efficient, and
responsible government. Some of these proposals require
legislation, some can be achieved through administrative action.
The Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993 is a major step in
implementing those recommendations from the NPR which require
action by the Congress.
This legislation affects a number of Federal agencies and
includes proposals that seek to: consolidate and streamline
agency operations; eliminate unnecessary programs; end unneeded
subsidies; improve financial management and debt collection;
reduce the burdens resulting from statutory reporting
requirements; and improve the dissemination of government
information. They were selected from the NPR report with the
expectation that they can be considered expeditiously by the
Congress.
The savings total for this legislation is $9 billion.
The proposals contained in the Government Reform and Savings
Act of 1993 would:
Department of Agriculture
-- Authorize the Secretary to reorganize the Department of
Agriculture to better accomplish its mission, streamline its
field structure, and improve service to its customers.
(Total savings: $1.64 billion)
--
Phase out by December 31, 1995, the Department of
Agriculture price support subsidy programs for wool and
mohair. (Total savings: $695 million)
--
Phase out by December 31, 1995, the Department of
Agriculture price support program for honey. (Total
savings: $6.5 million)
Department of Commerce
--
Require the Departments of Commerce and Defense and the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to propose a
single operational polar environmental satellite system in
order to reduce unnecessary duplication. (Total savings:
$300 million)
In addition, the Administration is planning to submit to
Congress a revised version of the Export Administration Act
(EAA) by Thanksgiving. The revised EAA will reorient the
law to reflect post-Cold War security and proliferation
threats and propose a streamlined export control process.
Department of Defense
-- Authorize Department of Defense managers and commanders to
use for mission purposes and, when applicable, for morale
and welfare activities the proceeds from the sale of
recyclable materials generated on an installation.
(Total savings: $500 million)
-- Require an orderly phase-out and closure of the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences beginning in
FY 1995 and ending with the closure of the University not
later than September 30, 1998. (Total savings:
$350 million)
-- Reorganize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers division and
district offices. (Total savings: $105 million)
Department of Energy
-- Authorize the sale of the Alaska Power Marketing
Administration. (Total savings: $59.5 million)
-2-
--
Allow private sector power generating facilities built at
Federal sites to sell power to private as well as Federal
customers. (Total savings: $112 million)
--
Allow the Power Marketing Administrations to refinance their
subsidized Treasury debt through the private market.
Department of Health and Human Services
--
Provide for increased flexibility and competitiveness in
contracts with Medicare intermediaries (entities that
process claims under the Hospital Insurance program) and
carriers (entities that process claims under the
Supplementary Medical Insurance program). (Total savings:
$630 million)
Authorize the Secretary to initiate pilot projects to study
various means for obtaining on a timely and accurate basis
workers' compensation benefit information. This information
will be used to improve the reporting of workers'
compensation payments, thereby helping to ensure that
individuals receive the proper level of benefits under the
Social Security Disability Insurance program.
Expand the Secretary's authority to obtain and disseminate
death information for use in administering the Social
Security Act and other Federal programs.
Set aside a specific minimum level of resources within the
Social Security Administration for FYs 1994 through 1999 to
be used for the processing of continuing disability reviews.
This would help prevent payment of Social Security
disability benefits to individuals who are no longer
disabled. (Total savings: $485.3 million)
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Improve HUD's ability to manage and sell multifamily loans
and properties held by the Department. (Total savings:
$715 million)
--
Streamline and consolidate HUD's headquarters, regional, and
field offices over time. (Total savings: $167 million)
--
Provide incentive payments to homeowners and lending
institutions to refinance HUD-subsidized mortgages with high
interest rates. (Total savings: $302 million)
Reduce excessive rent subsidies by freezing rent increases
for 1 year under the Section 8 new construction and
substantial rehabilitation programs. (Total savings: $558
million)
-3-
--
Improve management efficiency by consolidating two similar
programs, the Section 8 Certificate and Voucher programs.
Both programs provide rental assistance to needy individuals
and families.
Department of the Interior
--
Require the Bureau of Mines to improve the efficiency of the
Federal helium program by reducing costs, requiring full
compensation to the government for its costs, and
encouraging increased sales to the private sector without
market disruption. In addition, the Secretary of the
Interior is to develop a long-term, comprehensive plan
regarding the future of the helium program, which the
President may adopt, in whole or in part, including
cancellation of the helium debt. (Total savings: $47
million)
--
Require the Minerals Management Service to improve the
efficiency of its mineral royalty collection program,
including assessing penalties for substantial underpayment
of royalties. (Total savings: $28 million)
-- Phase out the Mineral Institutes Program, by fiscal year
1999. Established in the 1970s, the program has
accomplished its purpose to provide seed money to encourage
the development of mineral-related university research and
graduate education programs. (Total savings: $24.5
million)
Department of Justice
-- Authorize the Department of Justice to charge fees to
prisoners for health services. (Total savings: $13.8
million)
Department of Labor
-- Amend the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to
reduce fraud by: (1) making it a felony to lie on benefit
applications; (2) making people convicted of defrauding the
program ineligible for benefits; (3) denying benefits to
incarcerated individuals; and (4) expanding the Department
of Labor's capability to eliminate FECA fraud. (Total
savings: $22.6 million)
--
Extend and expand reemployment programs for occupationally
disabled Federal employees who are injured on the job and
increase review of benefit levels and eligibility. (Total
savings: $126 million)
-4-
Authorize the Secretary of Labor to develop an electronic
data base to enable Federal contracting agencies to
electronically access wage determination information
instantly, thereby eliminating procurement delays.
--
Amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to
eliminate the requirement that employee pension and benefit
plan administrators automatically file annual plan
descriptions with the Secretary of Labor.
Department of State/U.S. Information Agency
--
Reduce mission operating costs through: (1) reduction of
marine guard and other security costs at overseas diplomatic
missions; and (2) restructuring USIA public diplomacy
activities to improve efficiency. (Total savings: $20.7
million)
Department of Transportation
--
Require the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to charge tuition
to recover a portion of its operating expenses, beginning
with the 1995-1996 academic year. The Academy would have
discretion to waive this requirement, e.g., to offer
scholarships. (Total savings: $36.1 million)
--
Effective in FY 1995, set reasonable criteria for air
service to certain communities to qualify for subsidies
under the "Essential Air Service program." (Total savings:
$70.1 million)
:
Repeal authorizations for certain training or education
grant programs of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(Total savings: $14.2 million)
Department of Veterans Affairs
--
Remove a number of limitations and restrictions contained in
veterans laws, thereby increasing efficiencies and improving
service without sacrificing accountability.
Phase out and close over 2 years the centralized depot and
distribution centers in Somerville, New Jersey; Hines,
Illinois; and Bell, California. (Total savings:
$79 million)
Authorize the disclosure of health insurance information
from the Medicare and Medicaid Coverage Data Bank to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in identifying and
collecting reimbursements from third parties responsible for
care and services provided to veterans. (Total savings:
$420 million)
-5-
Streamline benefits claims processing by improving and
clarifying certain adjudication and appeal procedures.
Human Resource Management
Permit Executive branch agencies to pay an incentive of up
to $25,000 to employees who retire or resign voluntarily.
Remove unnecessary and narrow restrictions on Federal
employee training.
Cap at 30 days the amount of annual leave that a senior
executive can carry forward from year to year. Those
executives who have annual leave in excess of the new limit
at the end of the 1993 leave year would be allowed to carry
that leave forward until it is used or they leave the
government.
Reinventing Support Services
--
Improve the dissemination of government information and
promote competition for government printing. (Total
savings: $30 million)
Streamlining Management Control
Authorize the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) to recommend changes in statutory reporting
requirements; the recommendations would take effect if
approved by law. (A separate legislative proposal to be
transmitted shortly would repeal the legislative authority
for certain Executive branch reports that are no longer
necessary.)
Improving Financial Management
--
Require that individuals who begin to receive Federal salary
or retirement payments after January 1, 1995, be paid
through electronic funds transfer (EFT) ; the requirement
will be waived upon written request by an individual.
(Total savings: $1.1 million)
--
Authorize Federal agencies to establish "franchise funds,"
which would encourage agencies to purchase common
administrative services on a competitive basis, and
"innovation funds, which would allow agencies to invest in
projects designed to produce measurable results and
significant taxpayer savings.
--
Authorize OMB to recommend the most meaningful timing and
formats for general management and financial management
reports to OMB and the Congress.
-6-
Require the annual preparation of audited financial
statements covering all of the offices, bureaus, and
activities of each of the Federal Departments and agencies
required to have a Chief Financial Officer.
--
Authorize appropriations equal to 1 percent of all
delinquent debt collections and 10 percent of sustained
annual increases in collections of delinquent debt for
agencies to enhance debt collection activity.
--
Authorize the Customs Service and the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) to use private collection agencies
to collect debts and to pay fees charged for collection
services by private collection agencies from amounts
recovered. The authority for HHS would apply only to the
debts of individuals no longer on the benefit rolls. (Total
savings: $370 million)
--
Require a 10 percent surcharge to be assessed on all civil
money judgments and settlements. These funds are to be used
to improve debt collection at the Department of Justice and,
at the discretion of the Attorney General, to reimburse
other agencies for assistance in debt collection activities.
(Total savings: $775 million)
--
Require adjustment of civil monetary penalties for
inflation. After a one-time catch-up adjustment in 1994,
adjustments would be made every 4 years. (Total savings:
$192 million)
Year-End Spending
--
Permit agencies to roll over 50 percent of their unobligated
year-end balances in annual salaries and expenses accounts
to the next fiscal year.
-7-
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
I am pleased to transmit today for your immediate
consideration and enactment the "Government Reform and Savings
Act of 1993". This legislation is based on the recommendations
of the National Performance Review (NPR). Also transmitted is
a section-by-section analysis.
The goal of the NPR is to provide the American people with
a more effective, efficient, and responsive government -- a
government that works better and costs less. The NPR began on
March 3, 1993, when I asked Vice President Gore to conduct an
intensive 6-month review of how the Federal Government works.
The Vice President organized a team of experienced Federal
employees from all corners of government to examine both
agencies and cross-cutting systems, such as budgeting, financial
management, procurement, and personnel. He spoke with employees
at every major agency and sought the views of hundreds of
organizations, business leaders, and State and local officials.
The NPR report presents numerous proposals, some of which
require legislation, some of which can be achieved through
administrative action. The legislation I am presenting today
is a major step in implementing those NPR recommendations that
require action by the Congress. I plan to include additional
NPR proposals in the Fiscal Year 1995 Budget.
This legislation includes proposals that seek to:
consolidate and streamline agency operations; eliminate
unnecessary programs; end unneeded subsidies; improve financial
management and debt collection; reduce the burdens resulting
from statutory reporting requirements; and improve the
dissemination of government information. They were selected
from the NPR report with the expectation that they can be
considered expeditiously by the Congress. It is my hope that
these recommendations will be passed by the Congress prior to
adjournment this year.
2
The savings total for the legislation I am submitting today
is $9 billion.
To accompany these NPR recommendations, a package of
rescissions will be sent to the Congress shortly. The
Administration is also working with the appropriate committees
of jurisdiction on a major procurement reform measure.
By implementing these recommendations, I believe we can
make fundamental changes for the better in the performance of
the Federal Government. I pledge to work with the Congress to
ensure the prompt enactment of this legislation.
William
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 26, 1993.