Bourdeaux Introduces Bipartisan Duplication Scoring Act

Press Release

Today, United States Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07) introduced the Duplication Scoring Act to enact common-sense changes that will ensure policymakers have the information they need to make educated decisions and avoid government waste. Congressman Michael Cloud (TX-27) joined Congresswoman Bourdeaux to introduce this bill on a bipartisan basis.

"I've made it clear from my first day in Congress that one of my top priorities is putting our nation on a path to fiscal sustainability. This change makes certain that lawmakers are better equipped to avoid needless duplication and waste of government resources. This legislation reflects my on-going commitment to make sure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars," said Congresswoman Bourdeaux.

The bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to work with the Congressional Budget Office to review each piece of legislation reported out of a committee and compare it to existing GAO reports which have identified duplication in federal programs.

"I am pleased to be introducing a common-sense, good governance bill with my Democratic colleague, Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux," said Congressman Michael Cloud. "The bill that we are introducing recently passed the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and is very similar to a bill I introduced H.R. 638, the Cost Estimates Improvement Act. This bill would require GAO to tell Congress if duplicative or similarly existing programs exists, before Congress passes more legislation. This would go far to cutting down on the size of the bureaucracy and wasting taxpayer dollars. I am thankful my colleague, Rep. Bourdeaux is willing to join up to take action."

The Duplication Scoring Act was introduced in the Senate earlier this year on a bipartisan basis by Senators Rand Paul (KY), Maggie Hassan (NH), Joni Ernst (IA), James Lankford (OK), and Rick Scott (FL).

Source