House approves Young bill to improve federal management of programs, projects

The House approved bipartisan legislation on Thursday that U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) introduced to reduce government waste by applying private-sector performance standards to federal programs and projects.

The Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act, H.R. 2144, which Young introduced with U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), would require the Office of Management and Budget (OBM) to adopt and oversee new standards, issue regulations and establish standards for executive agencies, conduct program reviews, and establish a five-year strategic plan for program and project management.

“During my time in the Marine Corps, I saw firsthand the mismanagement that is prevalent throughout far too many defense programs and projects,” Young said. “This problem pervades all government agencies, with projects often coming in over budget and past deadline. For the first time, our reform legislation will implement government-wide performance standards derived from the private sector to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, and ensure projects conclude on time and on budget.”

U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced S. 1550, the Senate version of the bill.

“The potential cost savings from these reforms are large, and I’m grateful to my Democratic colleague, Congressman Connolly, as well as Sens. Ernst and Heitkamp, for their leadership in helping get this legislation across the finish line,” Young said.

Ernst said that she was pleased that the House approved the bipartisan bill to prevent billions of wasted taxpayer dollars.

“By requiring the government to streamline and adopt commonsense management standards, I am confident our bill can help prevent lax oversight, cost overruns, and deficiencies, while also raising the level of accountability for those that manage large federal programs,” Ernst said. “This is an important step toward making government more cost-effective and efficient. I look forward to continuing to work together with Sen. Heitkamp and Congressmen Young and Connolly to ultimately send this much-needed government reform to the president’s desk.”