Statement of U.S. Representative Kevin Brady Before the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology on H.R. 2939, the Federal Sunset Act of 1998.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Horn and members of the Subcommittee staff for holding a hearing on H.R. 2939, the Federal Sunset Act of 1998. I would also like to thank a former co-worker from the Texas Legislature and friend of mine, Texas State Representative and Vice Chairman (and former Chairman) of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, Patricia Gray, for attending this hearing and testifying on the sunset process and it's success in Texas.

Texas is one of more than 23 states that have employed the sunset process as a proven tool to cut wasteful spending, eliminate duplication, streamline agencies and increase accountability. This bill, the Federal Sunset Act of 1998, seeks to bring these sort of principles of efficiency and continual evaluation to our federal government.

The battle to abolish obsolete agencies and make better use of our tax dollars has been fought throughout our nation's history. Thomas Jefferson, our nation's third president, wrote to friends of his constant effort to abolish agencies and programs that have outlived their usefulness. More recently, former President Jimmy Carter pushed for a vote on Sunset in the late 1970's. Today, 80 of my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle have embraced the notion that the time has come for agencies to justify their tax dollars or face elimination.

Big government has a life of its own. Just ask those in Congress who last session struggled to abolish the 100-year-old federal Board of Tea Examiners. As former president Ronald Reagan observed, "the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on the earth is a government program."

In order to reach an honest balanced budget - without borrowing from federal trust funds - simply slowing the growth of federal agencies is not enough. Enacting a federal Sunset Law, like more than half of our states have, creates a tool to cut wasteful spending by completing the Results Act and traditional legislative oversight.

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 precious, limited tax dollars today.

Here is how it works: Every federal agency is given an expiration date - a date certain when they will go out of existence unless Congress reestablishes them. (This bill suggests a 12-year cycle for most agencies, shorter for troubled agencies.) A bi-partisan, 12-member Sunset Commission, composed of members of Congress and the public, examines each agency's need, value, cost-effectiveness and level of customer service. Then citizens, taxpayers, and state and local government leaders are given a chance to speak their mind: Is the agency still needed? Is it responding to its customers? Is it spending our tax dollars wisely? After a thorough evaluation, the Commission recommends to Congress that an agency be reauthorized, streamlined, consolidated or eliminated. If the agency is re-established it's assigned a future sunset date to make sure it remains accountable.

Accountability has saved money. In Texas, where I served as a state legislator, "sunsetting" has eliminated 42 agencies and saved the taxpayers more than $630 million. I am sure that Vice Chairman Gray will elaborate on its success as well. With results like this at the state level - where government is smaller and more efficient - imagine the cost savings when applied to the Washington bureaucracy.

There is very little cost associated with this bill. The sunset process uses existing mechanisms to implement the provisions of the bill. The members of the commission are appointed by the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader and hearings will be held in conjunction with the existing authorizing committees. Most work will be conducted in the legislative framework already established. Any costs that the Commission does incur will be offset in the budget for each fiscal year.

There are additional benefits under Sunset: agencies become very responsive to the American taxpayers, more oriented to customer service, and write regulations much closer to the original intent of congressional legislation. They must, because under Sunset there are no more sacred cows...no existence to infinity.

Many of you may ask, "Don't we already have sunsetting or a mechanism like it in place?" The answer is no. Currently, the federal government has no consistent mechanism to evaluate the need of every agency and to examine duplication of programs with other agencies. Certainly, the Government Performance and Results Act, passed in 1993, was a strong step in the right direction, and I am an active member of the Results Caucus. The Federal Sunset Act is the next logical step from there.

The Sunset process will fully utilize each agency's five-year strategic plan, annual performance plan and annual performance report. It will go one step further by serving as an enforcement mechanism for an agency's own review and facilitator of tangible results.

In a time of tough financial choices, our hard-earned tax-dollars can no longer be wasted on duplicative and out-dated programs in our federal agencies.

On average, more than five agencies perform the same or related function. There are 163 programs with a job training or employment function, 64 welfare programs of a similar nature, and more than 500 urban aid programs. Certainly, many of these are meritorious programs; however, not only could we afford to streamline and save tax dollars, but we could also make it easier for folks to understand and know where to seek this aid. Agencies could ultimately spend money serving more people in need of assistance rather than administrative paperwork.

H.R. 2939 shares the support of the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce, Texas Restaurant Association, Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Greater Houston Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Citizens Against Government Waste and others.

In fact, Thomas Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste, has said, AFor those in Congress who are committed to cutting wasteful spending, a federal Sunset Law is a powerful tool. No longer will federal agencies, once created, assume immortality. Sunsetting shifts the burden of proof, forcing agencies to regularly justify their existence to American taxpayers who will have a real say in whether they deserve our precious tax dollars.

We support the Federal Sunset Act of 1998 and encourage members of Congress to join Representative Brady in bringing accountability to our massive federal bureaucracy."

Again, thank you Chairman Horn, members of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology for inviting me here to testify and for allowing a hearing on H.R. 2939 to take place. I greatly appreciate the appearance of Rep. Patricia Gray and those here from the Administration. I am eager to hear their testimony and look forward to an open dialogue on the sunset process here today."