ICYMI: Chairman Johnson Announces Plans for Bipartisan Government Reform Package

Press Release

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced plans to introduce a government reform package Wednesday during a hearing of the committee he leads, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The package includes reforms to strengthen inspectors general, curb improper payments and improve anti-fraud controls, expedite the disposal of unneeded federal property, improve government transparency, and enhance whistleblower protections. The package would encompass 15 bills that already have been approved by voice vote or unanimous roll calls in the committee this Congress. Johnson announced he would ask that the full Senate be given the chance to consider the package.

Johnson encouraged Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) to join him in his efforts and noted that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has committed to full Senate consideration of the bill.

Johnson introduced the legislation by highlighting the work the committee has done, noting that some of the bipartisan bills that the committee has approved need action by the full Senate to get signed into law.

"We've passed 69 pieces of legislation through this committee, most of it unanimously," said Johnson. "Twenty-four now have been signed into law. There's another piece of legislation that's waiting on the president's desk. So in some way, shape or form, we've got it to the president's desk, got it through. ... I really do hope that Senator Carper will join me in this piece of legislation that we'd like to get on the floor. ... Senator McConnell's committed to doing so, so we can actually implement some of these great recommendations from the GAO, so I hope you join us in that."

"Let me just say, if I could, Mr. Chairman," Carper replied, "I think we've done good work, and I'm proud of what we've done building on the record that Dr. (Tom) Coburn helped to create. I'm very much interested in the package that's put together. A lot of it is stuff that I've helped to write or authored."

Coburn, a physician who retired from Senate last year after a career distinguished by his focus on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, testified at the hearing, which covered those problems. He pointed out that many of the reforms in the package are ones that he championed with Carper when he was ranking member of the committee. Coburn encouraged the members of the committee to "carry forward the tradition of bipartisanship" and work to get the bills approved by the committee "across the finish line this year."

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