Monday, July 18, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Porter promotes effort to streamline federal bureaucracy
Bills give president additional authority
By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., is leading the charge for two bills that give the president more authority to corral the federal bureaucracy.
Photo by Gary Thompson.
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WASHINGTON -- There are 19 federal programs for substance abuse, 90 that deal with childhood education and 27 concerned with teen pregnancy. Responsibility for food safety is spread among 10 federal agencies.
Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., cited the statistics in promoting a new streamlining effort for the government.
Chairman of the federal work force and agency organization subcommittee, Porter said he will try to advance two bills giving the president more authority to corral the bureaucracy. He is a sponsor of both.
One bill allows the president to set a schedule to review the workings of agencies and programs at least every 10 years. A seven-member "sunset commission" would carry out the reviews and offer recommendations on what could be abolished or consolidated.
The changes would take effect within two years unless Congress says otherwise.
A second bill lets the president form short-term "results commissions" to recommend reorganizations within the bureaucracy.
The bills "are unique but I don't know if people will pay attention to them," said Gary Bass, executive director of OMB Watch, an advocacy group that monitors the bureaucracy.
Bass said Congress is giving too much authority to the president.
"What I find striking, notwithstanding the eagerness with which Porter seems to embrace this, is the willingness of the legislative branch to give so much power to the executive branch," Bass said.
"The things they are talking about are wholesale changes in how government operates. They really are quite broad."
Agassi not ready to run
A Summerlin resident who thought it would be a good idea if tennis great Andre Agassi ran for Congress in 2006 has received an answer.
No thanks.
Gil Eisner sent a missive to news outlets, saying he was impressed by Agassi's career and that he would make a good challenger to Republican Jon Porter in the 3rd Congressional District.
The Agassi notion brought about media inquiries and the tennis star issued a statement saying, "I presently have no plans to enter the political arena.
"I will continue to focus my efforts on tennis, my foundation and my family," read the statement.
Review-Journal writer Warren Bates and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
