New Bill Targets Cooperation Between Federal & State Governments

A bipartisan group of senators led by the chairman of the Senate’s government operations committee is pushing to improve coordination between Washington and state and local governments to reduce waste and duplication.

New legislation sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters, (D) Michigan, would require two federal entities, the Office of Management and Budget and the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, to develop a strategic plan to increase coordination between the federal government and state, local, and tribal governments.

A report on the website Route Fifty says the proposal takes a different approach than failed legislation from a few years ago that sought to revive a defunct commission that was designed to foster cooperation between federal policymakers and states and localities.

You can read the entire story here.

An aide to Peters said the purpose of the bill is for the White House to figure out what states and localities need. But the lawmakers said the measure could lead to creating new IT capabilities, data sharing, and other services to root out waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds.

Source: Route Fifty