Mike Thompson: “while many of my colleagues have already addressed vital foreign policy issues during the consideration of Madeleine…”

“while many of my colleagues have already addressed vital foreign policy issues during the consideration of Madeleine Albright to be the next Secretary of State, I would like to use this opportunity to address some equally vital management issues. I hope to use the confirmation process to elevate management issues that tend to get swept under the carpet during high-minded policy debates. When discussing policy goals, we must be careful to determine whether these goals are affordable and that the resources spent provide the best value for the taxpayers' investment. Congress has laid the groundwork for significant Government management reforms with the passage of laws such as the Government Performance and Results Act, which requires agencies to measure the results of their efforts, the Chief Financial Officers Act, which requires agencies to shore up their financial recordkeeping, and recently enacted information management and procurement reforms. These laws apply commonsense approaches to the business of government to reduce inefficiencies and get real cost savings for taxpayers. It is questionable whether these new laws will be taken seriously and fully implemented without extensive congressional oversight--there are reports that agencies do not believe Congress is serious about the effective implementation of these laws. I am hereby serving notice that they would be seriously mistaken in that belief.”