Young Statement on POTUS Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young today reacted to the President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2021. This is the first year that Senator Young’s Good Accounting Obligation In Government (GAO-IG) Act goes into effect. The legislation was signed into law last year and seeks to increase oversight of taxpayer dollars spent by federal agencies.

Senator Young issued the following statement:

“I am pleased the President’s budget proposal prioritizes funding to support career and technical education, address housing affordability and homelessness, make needed infrastructure investments, modernize our nuclear weapon systems, and provide critical support for our military.

“The budget also calls for greater accountability in our organ donation system through improved oversight of Organ Procurement Organizations, something I have been working toward for many years. This is vital to the nearly 1,300 Hoosiers currently in need of a transplant.

“Additionally, this is the first year that my GAO-IG Act goes into effect. I look forward to receiving fiscal accountability updates from federal agencies on their progress implementing key recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and Inspectors General to protect Hoosier taxpayers and improve government efficiency.

“As the budget process begins, I will continue to urge Congress to put our nation on a fiscally sustainable path by addressing true drivers of our national debt – automatic spending programs, which are not controlled by annual government funding bills. That is why I helped introduce the Time to Rescue United States’ Trusts (TRUST) Act, which would create congressional committees specifically tasked to develop legislation to restore and strengthen endangered federal trust funds. I will also continue to push the Maximizing America’s Prosperity (MAP) Act along with Senator Braun to cut and cap federal spending and balance the budget.”

Background:

The GAO-IG Act was signed into law on January 3, 2019 and increases oversight of taxpayer dollars spent by federal agencies. Specifically, the law requires Executive Branch agencies to provide an update in their Congressional budget justifications on outstanding recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of Inspector General (IG). According to GAO, there are currently 4,958 open recommendations for federal agencies as of February 9, 2020.

Examples of open recommendations:

• In 2018, GAO published recommendations to improve opioid safety for veterans and identified how further efforts can reduce risk.
• In 2017, GAO found that the Federal Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture could do more to prevent unsafe drug residues in imported food.
• In 2016, GAO identified ways for the Department of State to improve the management of transportation-related risks to overseas U.S. personnel.
• In 2016, GAO recommended steps for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take to ensure privacy and accuracy while using face recognition technology.

Learn more here.