Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX) a long time advocate for cutting wasteful government spending and reducing the size of big government – today  scored an important victory as his Federal Sunset Act was adopted by the House of Representatives, 272 to 140.  Today’s historic vote was the first ever to be held on the House floor for a comprehensive sunset reform measure. 

 

“The federal government is too big, too fat and too wasteful. In a time of war and deficits, we need to make every dollar count. A federal sunset law is a proven, thoughtful way to abolish obsolete federal programs, eliminate duplication and hold every federal agency accountable to taxpayers,” said Brady.

 

“Best of all, under this act there are no sacred cows. Every agency is held equally accountable and must regularly prove to taxpayers that it deserves our precious tax dollars today. The days where federal programs live to eternity whether they are needed or not will be over.”

 

Brady’s bill, H.R. 1227 The Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act, or Sunset Act for short, was offered as an amendment by Brady and Democratic colleague, Rep. Jim Turner (D-TX), to The Spending Control Act, debated on the floor today.  Brady credited Turner with helping to pass the measure.  Today’s debate and subsequent adoption of the sunset amendment is a huge first step in establishing a process that ensures fiscal restraint.   At press time, a final vote on The Spending Control Act had not yet occurred. 

 

The Sunset Act establishes a Federal Sunset Commission to abolish obsolete agencies and programs and eliminates duplication in government.  The Federal Sunset Commission would be comprised of a 12-member bipartisan commission consisting of eight members of Congress and four private citizens.

 

“It’s a simple concept. Each and every federal government agency must justify its existence -- not its value when it was created 100 years ago ... or 40 years ago ... or even 20 years ago. They must prove that they deserve our tax dollars today,” said Brady.

 

Two years previous to the sunset date, the commission examines each agency’s need, value, cost-effectiveness and level of customer service. Then citizens, taxpayers, and state and local officials are given a chance to testify through hearings and the legislative framework. After a thorough evaluation, the commission recommends to Congress that an agency be reauthorized, streamlined, consolidated or eliminated.

 

“Federal agencies that outlive their usefulness or refuse to spend tax dollars efficiently are a burden on the American taxpayer and must be eliminated,” said Brady.

 

Congressman Brady’s federal sunset legislation is co-sponsored by 57 members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, and supported by groups like Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and was endorsed by then Governor Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign.

 

Placing a sunset on government agencies and programs was first implemented by the state of Colorado in 1976.  Since then roughly half of all states, including Texas, have some form of active sunset legislation.  In Texas, the sunset process has eliminated 44 agencies and saved taxpayers more than $720 million.