Order Code IB93026
Issue Brief for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Executive Branch Reorganization
and Management Initiatives
Updated June 12, 2002
Harold C. Relyea
Government and Finance Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CONTENTS
SUMMARY
MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Reinventing Government
A New Administration
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS, REPORTS, AND DOCUMENTS
CHRONOLOGY
LEGISLATION
FOR ADDITIONAL READING
CRS Reports

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Executive Branch Reorganization and Management Initiatives
SUMMARY
President William Clinton pledged his
foreign policy agencies, both of which were
Administration to a program of “reinventing
realized as a result of cooperation between the
government,” beginning with a National
Clinton Administration and Republican con-
Performance Review (NPR), announced
gressional leaders. During the 106th Congress,
shortly after his inauguration, to find ways to
executive reorganization and reinvention were
make the federal government more efficient,
neither major nor high-priority items.
economical, and effective. The result was a
series of reports proposing various organiza-
During his campaign for the presidency,
tional and operational reforms.
Texas Governor George W. Bush emphasized
efficiency in government, particularly through
Some major NPR recommendations were
the use of information technology, but re-
still awaiting implementation when the No-
vealed no plans for reorganizing the executive
vember 1994 congressional elections gave the
branch. Eight months after his inauguration,
Republicans majority party control of both
President Bush issued a major agenda identi-
houses of the 104th Congress. Republican
fying 14 management problems in the federal
leaders had unveiled a Contract With America
government and offering specific solutions to
reform plan in late September 1994. Its core
address them. Realizing efficiency and econ-
principles regarded the federal government as
omy in government remains a priority, as well,
being too big, spending too much, being
for the 107th Congress. Furthermore, in the
unresponsive to the citizenry, and perpetrating
aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist
burdensome regulations. Consequently, at
attacks on the World Trade Center and the
least two distinct agendas for reforming and
Pentagon, the organization of the federal
restructuring the federal government were
government for effective homeland security is
before the 104th Congress. At its conclusion,
being considered in various quarters of Con-
both the President and Republican congressio-
gress.
nal leaders could claim some victories in
downsizing government. No department,
This issue brief views reorganization and
however, was eliminated, and only a few
management as involving the alteration of the
small agencies were abolished.
program administrative structure and opera-
tions of the executive branch for reasons of
Administration and congressional
efficiency, economy, and direction. The
reinvention efforts resulted in largely modest
underlying issue is who reorganizes or sets
accomplishments during the 105th Congress.
management policy—Congress or the Presi-
Major exceptions were the overhaul of the
dent—and by what authority and, also, for
structure and operations of the Internal Reve-
what purpose? Some electronic government
nue Service and the consolidation of the
developments are tracked as well.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
President George W. Bush gave impetus to the creation of a Department of Homeland
Security when, on June 6, 2002, he proposed the establishment of such an entity by
Congress. His surprise announcement was viewed not only as an attempt to regain the
initiative in the nation’s efforts at combating terrorism, but also to move beyond the
coordination efforts of the Office of Homeland Security to a strong administrative structure
for managing consolidated programs concerned with border security and effective response
to domestic terrorism incidents. The primary issue for Congress and the President is what
shall be the program composition and administrative organization of the new department.
Secondary issues include what to do with agency programs inappropriately transferred to
the department, personnel costs that may arise from pleas for pay equity among investigative
and inspection positions within the department, reconsideration of the relationship of
intelligence entities to the department, intelligence analysis by the department, and
implementing the transition to the new department.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
For well over a century, the structure and program responsibilities of the federal
executive branch, including all of the departments and agencies, were determined by
Congress. In the aftermath of World War I, however, with the rise of the new public
administration profession and growing sentiment for attaining efficiency and economy in
government, came efforts to strengthen the President’s management ability. In 1932, the
Chief Executive was statutorily authorized to issue executive orders proposing reorganization
within the executive branch for purposes of reducing expenditures and increasing efficiency
in government. A reorganization order became effective after 60 days unless either House
of Congress adopted a resolution of disapproval. When President Herbert Hoover submitted
11 different reorganization orders, all were disapproved by the House of Representatives on
the grounds that his newly elected successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, might have different
reorganization ideas.
President Roosevelt did submit a number of reorganization orders pursuant to a revised
and extended version of the 1932 statute, which expired automatically in 1935. Some major
actions taken in these orders included creating procurement and disbursement divisions in
the Treasury Department, establishing an enlarged National Park Service in the Interior
Department, and making the Farm Credit Administration an independent agency.
Congress subsequently mandated a similar arrangement in a 1939 statute. Once again,
the objective was to achieve efficiency and economy in administration. A presidential
reorganization plan, submitted to Congress, became effective after 60 days unless both
houses of Congress adopted a concurrent resolution of disapproval. In his initial
reorganization plan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Executive Office of the
President.
Such reorganization authority, renewed periodically a dozen times between 1945 and
1984, with slight variation, remained available to the President for nearly half a century. At
different junctures, qualifications were placed upon its exercise. For example, reorganization
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plans could not abolish or create an entire department, or deal with more than one logically
consistent subject matter. Also, the President was prohibited from submitting more than one
plan within a 30-day period and was required to include a clear statement on the projected
economic savings expected to result from a reorganization.
Modification of the President’s reorganization plan authority was made necessary in
1983 when the Supreme Court, in the Chadha case (462 U.S. 919), effectively invalidated
continued congressional reliance upon a concurrent resolution to disapprove a proposed plan.
Under the Reorganization Act Amendments of 1984, which were signed by President Ronald
Reagan on November 8, several significant changes were made in the reorganization plan
law. Any time during the period of 60 calendar days of continuous session of Congress
following the submission of a reorganization plan, the President might make amendments
or modifications to it. Within 90 calendar days of continuous session of Congress following
the submission of a reorganization plan, both houses must adopt a joint resolution (which,
unlike a concurrent resolution, becomes law with the President’s signature — a central issue
in the Chadha case) for a plan to be approved. This amendment, however, continued the
President’s reorganization plan authority only to the end of 1984, when it automatically
expired (see 5 U.S.C. 901-912 (1988)). Neither President Reagan nor President George H.
W. Bush requested its reauthorization. President William Clinton did not seek its renewal,
although his National Performance Review (see below) recommended this course of action
in September 1993. Likewise, President George W. Bush has not sought such authority, even
though some have advised that reorganization plans could be useful to reconfigure portions
of the executive branch to better combat terrorism and maintain homeland security.
Currently, in the absence of reorganization plan authority, the President may propose
executive branch reorganizations to be realized through the normal legislative process. The
Departments of Energy, Education, and Veterans Affairs were established in this manner.
This approach, however, is devoid of the action time frame and required final vote of the
reorganization plan arrangement that expedites reorganization. The President might attempt
a minor reorganization, such as establishing a small, temporary entity within the Executive
Office of the President, by issuing a directive, such as an executive order. Attempting more
ambitious reorganizations through a presidential directive may, if not ultimately found to be
illegal, incur congressional displeasure and subsequent legislative and fiscal reaction. As a
result of the absence of reorganization plan authority, more recent reform efforts to improve
the efficiency and economy of government operations have emphasized management
improvements of both a governmentwide and specific program variety, including
applications of information technology that have resulted in so-called electronic government.
Reinventing Government
An ambitious effort at realizing executive branch reorganization and management
reform was launched by President Clinton at the outset of his administration. On March 3,
1993, he initiated a National Performance Review (NPR) to be conducted under the
leadership of Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. “Our goal,” said the President, “is to make the
entire federal government both less expensive and more efficient, and to change the culture
of our national bureaucracy away from complacency and entitlement toward initiative and
empowerment. We intend to redesign, to reinvent, to reinvigorate the entire national
government.”
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The initial NPR report, From Red Tape to Results: Creating a Government That Works
Better & Costs Less, was delivered to the President on September 7, 1993. Various
accompanying supplemental reports on both specific agencies and functional areas of
government were subsequently published during 1994. The bulk of the report’s almost 380
major recommendations (broken into over 1,230 action items) were directed to management
reforms; several proposals addressed executive reorganization, including one for
congressional restoration of presidential reorganization plan authority.
During the 12 months after the NPR report was issued, its recommendations were
implemented by 22 presidential directives, several enacted bills, and various agency actions.
Anniversary reports, marking progress in implementing NPR recommendations, were issued
in September of 1994, 1995, and 1996. The last of these indicated that 43% of the NPR’s
initial 833 agency action items were completed and 42% were in progress, and that 38% of
its initial 430 management systems action items were completed and 49% were in progress.
Of an additional 187 agency recommendations, 19% were completed and 62% were in
progress. As of January 1996, the executive workforce had been reduced by nearly 240,000.
In addition, almost 2,000 obsolete field offices had been closed and approximately 200
programs and agencies — such as the Tea-Tasters Board, Bureau of Mines, and wool and
mohair subsidies — had been eliminated. As of September 1996, said the report, “savings
of about $97.4 billion have been ensured through legislative or administrative action.” Of
the original $108 billion in savings projected in 1993, about $73.4 billion had been realized.
The Clinton Administration renewed its reinventing government effort in mid-January
1995 with Phase 2 of the NPR, which was detailed in the President’s FY1996 budget.
Shortly thereafter, in late February, the President announced new regulatory reform
proposals, including page-by-page review of federal regulations to determine those that were
obsolete, replaceable by private sector alternatives, or better administered by state and local
government. He also proposed to abolish the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and
reconstitute the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control services as a wholly
owned government corporation. The elimination of the ICC was subsequently realized in
December 1995. Certain functions of the Commission were transferred to the Surface
Transportation Board, newly established within the Department of Transportation by the
termination statute (109 Stat. 803).
With the convening of the 105th Congress, the reinvention effort entered yet another
new phase, emphasizing improved service delivery; use of partnerships and
community-based strategies to solve problems, not big government; and techniques for
improving performance in a time of diminishing resources, including the use of
performance-based organizations (PBOs). As a reflection of this third revamping, the NPR,
known heretofore as the National Performance Review, became the National Partnership for
Reinventing Government in January 1998.
Support for the performance of selected governmental functions through PBOs was
reiterated in the President’s FY1998 budget. The PBO innovation involved rechartering
certain federal executive agencies to permit them to negotiate alternative approaches to
procurement and personnel rules and to increase their accountability for financial and
program results. The anticipated increased efficiency would allow the agencies to downsize
their workforce or use their cost savings to improve services. Legislation to convert the
Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) of the Department of Commerce into a PBO was
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proposed by the Clinton Administration in 1995, but it received little attention during the
104th Congress; similar legislation remained on the Senate legislative calendar when the
105th Congress adjourned. When the agency was restructured by the American Inventors
Protection Act of 1999 (113 Stat. 1537-564), the reconstituted PTO insisted it was a PBO,
but that characterization was doubtful in the view of many analysts.
Overhauling the structure and operations of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was a
major accomplishment of the 105th Congress. Although some competition developed
between the White House and congressional leaders to seize the IRS reform initiative, the
Clinton Administration subsequently abandoned its opposition to a congressional plan for
a wide-ranging overhaul of the IRS. President Clinton signed the reform bill into law (112
Stat. 685) on July 22, 1998.
In early 1997, the Clinton Administration revisited the long-discussed and contentious
matter of the reconfiguration and consolidation of the foreign policy agencies. Prolonged
and heated debate over such a reorganization during the 104th Congress had resulted in a
presidential veto. In mid-April, the President approved a broad reorganization proposal
calling for the folding of two independent agencies — the Arms Control and Disarmament
Agency and the United States Information Agency — into the Department of State. In
addition, the U.S. Agency for International Development remained a separate entity, but its
director would report to the Secretary of State rather than to the President, as current law
prescribed. The plan eventually was included in the provisions of the State Department
authorization bills, but conferees on the legislation later deadlocked on a House provision
barring aid for family planning groups that use their own money to finance overseas
abortions. The Clinton Administration revived the conference discussions early in 1998.
Subsequently, the reorganization proposal, without the objectionable abortion restriction
rider, was included in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 1999, signed into law by President Clinton on October 21 (112 Stat.
2681-761).
In the aftermath of the May 25, 1999, release of the final report of the House Select
(Cox) Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the
People’s Republic of China, discussing security lapses that had apparently allowed the
Chinese to acquire U.S. nuclear weapons and related technology, a special investigative
(Rudman) panel of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) released
a June 15 report concerning these and other Department of Energy (DOE) managerial failures
and called for “radical” restructuring of DOE. Although Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson
opposed creating an independent nuclear security agency, he later accepted the idea of a
semiautonomous agency within DOE to manage the national labs. Conferees on the National
Defense Authorization Act for FY2000 provided for the establishment of a new National
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as a semiautonomous entity within the department
and a related under secretary position. Although Secretary Richardson expressed
reservations about the NNSA, both chambers approved the conference committee report in
September.
Signing the legislation into law on October 5 (113 Stat. 512), President Clinton, in a
surprise move, indicated his displeasure with provisions creating the NNSA, and announced
that he would withhold appointing the new under secretary for information security until
Congress addressed certain “deficiencies” in the organizational arrangements. Secretary
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Richardson was directed by the President to perform the duties of the new under secretary
and to assign department officers and employees to a concurrent office within the NNSA as
deemed necessary. The President’s action stunned many legislators closely associated with
the NNSA structuring. After seeking to assure Members of Congress that the administration
was in agreement with the spirit of the legislation, but felt that the NNSA provisions
constituted “a serious problem,” Richardson developed and, on January 7, transmitted the
NNSA implementation plan. The new agency began operations on March 1. President
Clinton later nominated General John A. Gordon, who was serving as the deputy director of
the Central Intelligence Agency, to be the DOE’s new under secretary for nuclear security
and the director of the NNSA. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate on June 14,
2000, as the head of NNSA.
Interest in a bipartisan, blue ribbon national study commission on government
organization and administrative management was renewed when Senator Fred Thompson,
chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, introduced, with bipartisan
sponsorship, the Government for the 21st Century Act (S. 2306) on March 28, 2000. The
legislation mandated a nine-member Commission on Government Restructuring and Reform,
which, by December 2002, was to provide a preliminary report to the President and Congress
proffering recommendations on reforming and restructuring executive branch organization
and operations. Among the goals for improvements in the performance of the government
set by the legislation were a restructuring of the Cabinet and sub-Cabinet level agencies; a
substantial reduction in the costs of administering government programs; a dramatic and
noticeable improvement in the timely and courteous delivery of services to the public; and
responsiveness and customer-service levels comparable to those achieved in the private
sector. The measure was referred to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and
a May 4 hearing on the measure was held by the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia, but no further action was taken
prior to the final adjournment of the 106th Congress.
The major focus of the subcommittee’s hearing was on “reinventing government,” with
particular emphasis on the accomplishments of the NPR. Among those appearing before the
subcommittee, Donald F. Kettl, a University of Wisconsin professor who had conducted
extensive research on the NPR reforms, gave the effort an overall grade of “B,” saying there
was “room for improvement.” Brookings Institution scholar Paul C. Light added that the
NPR program had created “unnecessary politicization of government reform.” Two other
analysts were also critical of the NPR effort. A few months later, in September, a GAO
report (GAO/GGD-00-145) concluded that the NPR reinvention effort had been largely
successful, with more than 90% of key Clinton Administration recommendations having
been fully or partly implemented. The report was based upon a review of 72 NPR
recommendations by 10 federal agencies, which found that 33 of them were fully
implemented and another 30 were partly implemented.
A New Administration
During his campaign for the presidency, Texas Governor George W. Bush emphasized
efficiency in government, particularly through the use of information technology, but
revealed no plans for reorganizing the executive branch. The terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001, however, would prompt various structural modifications.
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In the initial months of the 107th Congress, various efforts, including proposed
management improvements and organizational changes, were offered, expanding upon and
developing the electronic government initiatives of the Clinton Administration. The E-
Government Act of 2001 sought to establish a Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO)
within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Such an official, skilled in
information technology management, procurement, and application, would be, in the view
of proponents of the legislation, a more effective leader and coordinator in the effort to
establish various aspects of electronic government within the executive branch. The Senate
bill (S. 803) was offered by Senator Joseph Lieberman, with bipartisan cosponsors, on May
1. A hearing on the measure was held on July 11 by the Committee on Governmental
Affairs, where OMB Deputy Director Sean O’Keefe reiterated the position of the Bush
Administration that the OMB Deputy Director for Management should be the
governmentwide CIO, and took issue, as well, with some other aspects of the bill. Earlier,
Unisys vice president for e-business Mark Forman was named OMB Associate Director for
Information Technology and E-Government. The House version of the legislation (H.R.
2458) was introduced by Representative Jim Turner, with bipartisan cosponsors, on July 11,
and was referred to the Committee on Government Reform. (See CRS Report RL30745,
CRS Report RL30914, CRS Report RL31057, and CRS Report RL31088.)
In a July 18 memorandum to executive department and agency heads, OMB Director
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., on behalf of President Bush, apprised executive department and
agency heads of administration efforts to develop an electronic government action plan using
an interagency task force under the leadership of OMB Associate Director Mark Forman.
See [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/text/m01-28.html].
Speaking with reporters at Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) headquarters
on August 21, 2001, newly installed INS Commissioner James W. Ziglar pledged himself
to a major restructuring of his agency, promising to divide it into service and enforcement
arms under his leadership. Critics of the INS have proposed that it be divided into two
separate agencies for service and enforcement. For several years, the INS has drawn
complaints for backlogs and delays in processing immigrants’ applications for residency or
citizenship, mistreatment of customers, and reliance on outdated technology. President Bush
proposed dividing INS into two agencies during his campaign for the White House.
In his August 25, 2001, weekly radio address to the nation, President Bush announced
the release of The President’s Management Agenda, a report identifying 14 management
problems in the federal government and offering specific solutions to address them (available
at [http://www.omb.gov]). In language reminiscent of the National Performance Review
launched by the Clinton Administration, the report urged “rethinking government,” called
for a reduction of middle management, and championed “results-oriented” and “market-
based” administration. It proposed five governmentwide initiatives: strategic management
of human capital, competitive outsourcing (see CRS Report RL31024), improved financial
performance, expanded electronic government (see CRS Report RL30745 and CRS Report
RL31057), and budget and performance integration (see CRS Report RS20938). Its nine
specific program initiatives included a reiteration of support for reducing barriers to the
delivery of federally funded social services by faith-based and community groups. A
“Freedom to Manage” proposal in support of the agenda is expected to be particularly
controversial.
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In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, consideration was given to
executive reorganization in various quarters of the House and the Senate during the second
session of the 107th Congress. Of chief concern was the prospect of restructuring the
government for more efficient, economical, and effective homeland security. Reinstatement
of the President’s reorganization plan authority was proposed to allow the Chief Executive
to create the structure he deems appropriate, and legislation creating a Department of
Homeland Security was introduced (S. 1534) and later upgraded (S. 2452 and H.R. 4660).
Five other related measures (H.R. 525/S. 1453, H.R. 1158, H.R. 1292, H.R. 3026, and S.
1449) are pending as well. On February 14, 2002, the leadership of the House and Senate
intelligence committees announced a bipartisan investigation of the operations and activities
of the intelligence community pertaining to the September 11 attacks, which may result in
legislation reorganizing the intelligence agencies. Press revelations that perpetrators of the
terrorist attacks had been cleared by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to stay
in the United States have prompted renewed calls for the overhaul of the INS, including its
division into separate administrative and enforcement entities. On March 21, leaders of the
House Committee on the Judiciary reached agreement on a bipartisan proposal to split the
existing INS and provide each component its own budget. In a surprise move, the White
House, on April 24, gave qualified support to the proposal. The endorsement came on the
eve of the bill (H.R. 3231) being considered on the House floor for final action. Introduced
on November 6, 2001, by Representative James F. Sensenbrenner, Jr., the measure garnered
46 cosponsors. Revised in a April 10 markup, the legislation was ordered to be reported
from committee on a 32-2 vote. A report on the bill (H.Rept. 107-413) was filed on April
19, and the measure was adopted by the House on a 405-9 vote on April 25. (See CRS
Report RL30257 and CRS Report RS20279.)
Another long-standing reorganization matter concerns border security administration.
For many years prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, proposals have been made from
time to time to consolidate various aspects of border security within a single entity or
minimum number of federal agencies. (See CRS Report 97-974.) Such proposals have
attracted greater interest since the attacks as part of counterterrorism efforts to more
efficiently and effectively secure the nation’s northern and southern borders. In late
December, Office of Homeland Security staff reportedly produced a tempest within the Bush
Administration when they unveiled a broad proposal to create an agency that would
consolidate border security management. Opponents represented a wide range of agencies,
including five Cabinet departments.
This proposal, however, was used by presidential assistants to formulate the Department
of Homeland Security plan unveiled by President Bush on June 6. His surprise
announcement was viewed not only as an attempt to regain the initiative in the nation’s
efforts at combating terrorism, but also to move beyond the coordination efforts of the Office
of Homeland Security to a strong administrative structure for managing consolidated
programs concerned with border security and effective response to domestic terrorism
incidents. The primary issue for Congress and the President is what shall be the program
composition and administrative organization of the new department. Secondary issues
include what to do with agency programs inappropriately transferred to the department,
personnel costs that may arise from pleas for pay equity among investigative and inspection
positions within the department, reconsideration of the relationship of intelligence entities
to the department, intelligence analysis by the department, and implementing the transition
to the new department.
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In a separate development, with the submission of the President’s FY2003 budget, the
Bush Administration appears to be attempting to transfer programs from agencies through
funding consolidations. For example, the programs and $234.5 million budget of the Office
of Domestic Preparedness, Department of Justice, would be transferred to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. Other similar such disaster preparedness programs
reportedly will be shifted to different departments as the Office of Homeland Security
develops its comprehensive strategy. However, the propriety of moving program
responsibilities and related funds without statutory authority appears to be highly
questionable.
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS, REPORTS, AND DOCUMENTS
U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Creating a 21st
Century Government. H.Rept. 104-434, 104th Congress, 1st session. Washington, U.S.
Govt. Print. Off., 1995. 31 p.
—— Federal Government Management: Examining Government Performance as We Near
the Next Century. H.Rept. 104-861, 104th Congress, 1st session. Washington, U.S.
Govt. Print. Off., 1996. 213 p.
—— Making Government Work: Fulfilling the Mandate for Change. H.Rept. 104-435,
104th Congress, 1st session. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1995. 60 p.
U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Government at the Brink.
Committee print, 107th Congress, 1st session. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,
2001. 2 v.
—— Has Government Been “Reinvented”?. Hearing, 106th Congress, 2nd session, May 4,
2000. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 2000. 83 p.
—— Report of Senator Fred Thompson on Major Management Challenges Facing Federal
Departments and Agencies. Committee print, 106th Congress, 2nd session.
Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 2000. 55 p.
—— Report of Senator Fred Thompson on Management Challenges Facing the New
Administration. Committee print, 106th Congress, 2nd session. Washington, U.S.
Govt. Print. Off., 2000. 51 p.
CHRONOLOGY
08/25/01 —
President George W. Bush, in his radio address to the nation, announced the
release of The President’s Management Agenda, a report identifying 14
management problems in the federal government and offering specific
solutions to address them.
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07/18/01 —
OMB Director Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., on behalf of President Bush, apprised
executive department and agency heads of administration efforts to develop
an electronic government action plan using an interagency task force to be
headed by OMB Associate Director for Information Technology and E-
Government Mark Forman.
03/28/00
—
Senator Fred Thompson, chairman of the Senate Committee
on
Governmental Affairs, introduced legislation (S. 2306), with bipartisan
sponsorship, mandating a nine-member Commission on Government
Restructuring and Reform to make recommendations to the President and
Congress to improve the organization and operations of the executive branch
of the federal government for the 21st century.
01/01/98 —
The National Performance Review became the National Partnership for
Reinventing Government.
01/11/97 —
At a Blair House meeting of the new Cabinet, Vice President Gore presented
a brief set of papers, which he dubbed “reinvention marching orders,”
emphasizing three themes: improved service delivery; use of partnerships
and community-based strategies to solve problems, not big government; and
techniques for improving performance in a time of diminishing resources,
including the use of performance-based organizations. The issuance of the
Blair House papers marked the beginning of a new stage of the NPR.
09/09/96 —
The National Performance Review marked its third-year anniversary,
reporting that 43% of its initial 833 agency action items were completed and
42% were in progress, and 49% of its initial 430 management systems action
items were completed and 49% were in progress; of an additional 187
recommendations, 19% were completed and 62% were in progress; “savings
of about $97.4 billion have been ensured through legislative or administrative
action” and an “additional $5.2 billion in savings is contained in legislation
pending before Congress;” and, as of January 1996, an executive workforce
reduction of nearly 240,000 employees had been realized.
09/11/95 —
The National Performance Review marked its second year anniversary,
reporting that 32% of its initial agency action items were completed and 61%
were in progress, and 27% of its initial 417 management systems action items
were completed and 63% were in progress; more than 180 additional
recommendations had been made; and “about $57.7 billion of [approximately
$108 billion] projected savings have been achieved” and an “additional $4.3
billion in savings are currently pending before Congress.”
01/12/95 —
Vice President Gore, OMB Director Alice Rivlin, and other officials formally
launch Phase 2 of the National Performance Review.
09/27/94 —
Republican leaders of the House of Representatives unveiled a “Contract
With America” reform plan with core principles that regard the federal
government as being too big, spending too much, unresponsive to the
citizenry, and the perpetrator of burdensome regulations.
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09/14/94 —
The National Performance Review marked its one-year anniversary, reporting
that over 90% of its recommendations “are under way,” implementation
occurring through 22 presidential directives, several enacted bills, and a
variety of agency actions, with the result that “$46.9 billion of NPR’s $108
billion in proposed savings are already enacted” and another “$16 billion in
savings is pending before Congress.”
09/07/93 —
The National Performance Review provided its final report to President
Clinton, offering some 380 major recommendations for government reform.
The bulk of these proposals concerned management improvement, but several
were directed at agency reorganization, consolidation, and field structure
overhaul.
03/03/93 —
President Clinton announced he was initiating a National Performance
Review, to be headed by Vice President Gore, to evaluate the efficiency,
economy, and effectiveness of every federal program and service, and make
recommendations for “reinventing government,” including proposals for
executive branch reorganization.
LEGISLATION
H.R. 525 (Gilcrest)/S. 1453 (Smith)
Preparedness Against Domestic Terrorism Act of 2001. Amends the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide for improved federal efforts to
prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks, and for other purposes, including the
establishment of the President’s Council on Domestic Preparedness. Introduced Feb. 8,
2001, and referred to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; referred to
Subcommittee on Economic Development Feb. 9; subcommittee hearings held Apr. 24 and
May 9; subcommittee mark-up session Sept. 20; referred, as amended, to full committee
Sept. 20.
H.R. 1158 (Thornberry)
National Homeland Security Agency Act. Establishes a National Homeland Security Agency
as an independent agency with a director appointed by the President and subject to Senate
confirmation. Introduced Mar. 21, 2001, and referred to the Committee on Government
Reform; referred to the Subcommittee on National Security Apr. 23; subcommittee hearing
held Apr. 29.
H.R. 1292 (Skelton)
Homeland Security Strategy Act of 2001. Requires the President to develop and implement
a strategy for homeland security, including designating a single government official
responsible for homeland security. Introduced Mar. 29, 2001, and referred to the Committee
on Armed Services with additional referral to the Committees on Transportation and
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Infrastructure, the Judiciary, and Intelligence; Transportation Subcommittee on Economic
Development hearing held Apr. 24.
S. 1149 (Graham)
Establishes a National Office for Combating Terrorism within the Executive Office of the
President, with a director appointed by the President and subject to Senate confirmation.
Introduced Sept. 21, 2001, and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs; hearing
held Oct. 12.
S. 1534 (Lieberman)
Establishes a Department of National Homeland Security. Introduced Oct. 12, 2001, and
referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs; hearing held Oct. 12.
S. 2452 (Lieberman)/H.R. 4660 (Thornberry)
Establishes a Department of National Homeland Security and a National Office for
Combating Terrorism within the Executive Office of the President. Introduced May 2, 2002,
and referred in the Senate to the Committee on Governmental Affairs, and in the House to
the Committee on Government Reform. Ordered to be reported on a 7-3 vote in the Senate
on May 22.
FOR ADDITIONAL READING
Gazell, James A., ed. “The National Performance Review and Public Administration.”
Special issue. International Journal of Public Administration, v. 20, no. 1, 1997:
1-247.
Kettl, Donald F. Reinventing Government? Appraising the National Performance Review.
Washington, Brookings Institution, 1994. 78 p.
—— Reinventing Government: A Fifth-Year Report Card. Washington, Brookings
Institution, 1998. 71 p.
—— and John J. DiIulio, Jr., eds. Inside the Reinvention Machine: Appraising
Governmental Reform. Washington, Brookings Institution, 1995. 198 p.
National Performance Review. Most literature may be reviewed and downloaded by
consulting the NPR web site “library” at
[http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/default.html].
Office of the Vice President. Common Sense Government Works Better & Costs Less.
Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., September 1995. 158 p.
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—— From Red Tape to Results: Creating a Government That Works Better & Costs Less.
Report of the National Performance Review. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,
September 1993. 168 p.
—— From Red Tape to Results: Creating a Government That Works Better & Costs Less:
Status Report, September 1994. Report of the National Performance Review.
Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., September 1994. 127 p.
—— The Best Kept Secrets In Government. A Report to President Bill Clinton. National
Performance Review. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., September 1996. 245 p.
U.S. General Accounting Office. Combating Terrorism: Selected Challenges and Related
Recommendations. GAO-01-822. [Washington] September 2001. 203 p.
—— Management Reform: Status of Agency Reinvention Lab Efforts. GAO/GGD-96-69.
[Washington] March 1996. 157 p.
—— Reinventing Government: Status of NPR Recommendations at 10 Federal Agencies.
GAO/GGD-00-145. [Washington] September 2000. 80 p.
CRS Reports
CRS Report 97-974. Reorganization Proposals for U.S. Border Management Agencies, by
Frederick M. Kaiser.
CRS Report RL30257. Proposals to Restructure the Immigration and Naturalization
Service, by William J. Krouse.
CRS Report RL30596. The National Performance Review and Other Government Reform
Initiatives: An Overview, 1993-1999, by Harold C. Relyea, Maricele J. Cornejo
Riemann, and Henry B. Hogue.
CRS Report RL30745. Electronic Government: A Conceptual Overview, by Harold C.
Relyea.
CRS Report RL30914. Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO): Opportunities and
Challenges, by Jeffrey W. Seifert.
CRS Report RL31024. The Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act and Circular A-76, by
L. Elaine Halchin.
CRS Report RL31057. A Primer on E-Government: Sectors, Stages, Opportunities, and
Challenges of Online Governance, by Jeffrey W. Seifert.
CRS Report RL31148. Homeland Security: The Presidential Coordination Office, by
Harold C. Relyea.
CRS Report RS20279. Immigration and Naturalization Service Reorganization and Related
Legislative Proposals, by William J. Krouse.
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