Mark R. Warner
“I strongly believe in the principle that ‘what gets measured gets done.’ This may not be the most glamorous or exciting stuff, but I am eager to get to work with my colleagues on the challenge of helping federal agencies and programs perform better through quality measurements, greater transparency and public accountability.”
Senator Warner, 10/30/2009
In October 2009, Senator Warner was selected by the Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad to lead a bipartisan Task Force on Governmental Performance. The group will look at how the government measures the cost-effectiveness of federal agencies and programs. The goal is to boost efficiency and find cost savings for taxpayers. Chairman Conrad said he selected Senator Warner to serve as chairman of the task force based on his experience as a business leader and as the former governor of Virginia.
Senator Warner's Progress:
- In April 2010, Senator Warner successfully amended the FY2011 Budget Resolution to require performance measurements for stimulus spending and health care reform, and cut funding for programs identified for elimination by the Office of Management and Budget.
- In March 2010, the Senate approved a major jobs bill that included a bipartisan amendment submitted by Senator Warner that would fix gaps in how the federal government is tracking stimulus spending.
- In October 2009, Senator Warner held the first meeting of the Task Force and questioned President Obama's Chief Performance Office, Jeff Zients, on how the administration is tracking government performance.
- Since the panel's first meeting, Senator Warner invited the public to submit their ideas on how to improve government performance. Click here to share your suggestions.
Recent News on Government Performance
Here is what Senator Warner has been doing recently with the Senate Budget Committee's Task Force on Government Performance:
- 09/29/10 -Senator Warner's proposal mandating more accountability & savings across gov't clears committeeSenator Warner’s bipartisan legislation to make government work better by requiring every federal agency to set clear performance goals was approved by a key Senate committee today.
- 08/05/10 -Boosting U.S. manufacturingIn the past decade or more, the United States has produced more financial engineers than industrial engineers, and our nation's lack of a coherent manufacturing strategy is threatening our ability to compete.
- 06/16/10 -Saving $800+ million a year by cutting 17 government programsSenator Warner filed legislation today that would eliminate 17 outdated, ineffective, or duplicative government programs and save approximately $806 million a year.
- 06/10/10 -Urging better coordination before oil spill reaches Virginia coastSenator Warner joined a bipartisan group of Senators today to urge federal authorities to coordinate with emergency preparedness officials in Virginia and other coastal states in the event that the Gulf oil spill reaches Atlantic coastal areas.
- 05/06/10 -Calling-out secret holds on presidential nomineesSenator Warner joined colleagues today to call on Republicans to end procedural obstructions that have delayed Senate confirmation of many of President Obama's nominees. UPDATE: Watch video of Senator Warner's May 7th remarks on the Senate floor.
- 04/26/10 -Bipartisan budget amendments for more accountability, savingsSenator Warner, in his role on the Senate Budget Committee and as chairman of the Task Force on Government Performance, continued his efforts to establish better accountability measurements and reduce wasteful government spending through a set of amendments to the FY2011 Budget Resolution.
- 03/24/10 -Next steps on health reformSenator Warner and several of his freshman colleagues took to the Senate floor once again today to discuss the cost-saving tools included in the health reform legislation.
- 03/10/10 -Greater accountability for stimulus spendingThe Senate approved a major jobs legislation today that included bipartisan amendment submitted by Senator Warner that will fix gaps in how the federal government is tracking stimulus spending.
- 01/19/10 -A bipartisan solution to spending reformIn an op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch this morning, Senator Warner writes about his support for a bipartisan solution to tackle meaningful budget and spending reforms.
- 01/15/10 -Focus on health savings & accountabilityAs Senate and House leaders continue to work to craft a compromise health reform bill, Senator Warner is urging negotiators to remain focused on the ultimate goal of health reform: driving-down medical costs for consumers, businesses and taxpayers.