(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), America’s largest taxpayer watchdog group, applauded President Donald Trump’s executive order “directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to submit a comprehensive plan to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of the executive branch,” including the elimination or reorganization of redundant or unnecessary federal agencies.

CAGW President Tom Schatz proclaimed, “We wholeheartedly applaud President Trump and his administration for proposing these sweeping steps to foster a more efficient, frugal, and fiscally responsible government.  After CAGW was established in 1984 to follow up on the recommendations of President Reagan’s Grace Commission, we have been committed to uncovering, exposing, and eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.  CAGW is thrilled that President Trump has taken perhaps the most significant step since the Grace Commission report toward achieving that goal.”

The executive order gives every federal department 180 days to provide recommendations to reorganize the agency to make it more efficient and effective.  After 180 days following the receipt of these reports, including a public comment period, the OMB director would send the president a proposed plan, including legislative and administrative proposals, necessary to achieve the proposed reorganization.

The OMB director would consider several factors when writing his report, including whether an agency or program would be better left to state or local governments of the private sector, is redundant to the functions of the agency in question or another agency, and is justified through a cost-benefit analysis.  He would also review the costs of terminating of consolidating agencies and programs, including staff considerations.

CAGW will be making several suggestions to OMB both directly as well as through the public comment process, including the recommendations contained in Prime Cuts 2016, which contains 618 recommendations to cut the federal budget that would save taxpayers $644.1 billion in the first year and $2.6 trillion over five years.  Other recommendations include the annual Government Accountability Office reports on duplication and overlap.

“Taxpayers can be confident that OMB Director Mick Mulvaney will carry out this order promptly and effectively.  The cabinet secretaries, who we have called 'disruptors,” include many individuals who have substantial experience managing large, complex organizations.  We expect that the final plan will result in a more efficient government at a lower cost to taxpayers,” concluded Schatz.

CAGW is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. 

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