Measure would encourage lawmakers to ask once, nicely

Lawmakers introduced bipartisan resolutions Thursday to task the Congressional Research Service with scoring all legislation on the extent to which it perpetuates duplicative federal programs. The resolutions would change chamber rules to “ensure members of Congress are informed of all existing federal programs before creating new ones,” a press release stated.

The proposals come as a reaction to a pair of reports from the Government Accountability Office in the past year pinpointing dozens of programs that appear to be duplicated across agencies. Eliminating these programs could save an estimated $100 billion, according to Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who sponsored the Senate resolution (S. Res. 427), along with Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.

Coburn -- a longtime activist against waste -- said the resolution is needed because Congress “continues to shirk” its oversight duties and create overlapping programs. “It’s disappointing,” he said, “that the Senate continues to sit on the sidelines of an election year. Instead of addressing real problems facing the country, we are allowing bills that duplicate existing law to pass, resulting in billions in potential savings lost each year.”

The House resolution (H. Res. 623) is sponsored by Reps. Sue Myrick, R-N.C.; James Lankford, R-Okla.; and Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.

“Creating a surplus of duplicate federal initiatives only adds to the maze of federal bureaucracy and detracts from overall goals,” Lankford said. “By engaging the Congressional Research Service in any discussion of new federal programs, we can thoroughly assess whether legislation is adding to the litany of government programs already in existence to prevent duplication before it’s created.”

Examples the lawmakers cited from the 2012 GAO report include 209 programs in 13 agencies that address education in science, technology, engineering and math ; 56 programs across 20 agencies on financial literacy; and 94 federal initiatives that encourage “green building” in the private sector, all run by 11 different federal agencies.