POSITION PAGE
Structure for an Effective Federal Government
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity ...”
Preamble to The United States Constitution
CHANGE
- Reduce the number of Cabinet-level agencies to create greater focus on mission, reduce overlapping overhead costs, uncover potential efficiencies, and make government more manageable.
- Reduce the number of Congressional committees and subcommittees to parallel the cabinet-level department structure with three additional committees that span functions: Budget, Intelligence, and Congressional Operations. House members can serve on only one committee or one subcommittee; Senators can serve on one committee and one subcommittee.
SOLUTION: Seven cabinet-level departments
- Department of State
- Department of Treasury
- Department of Defense, including Veteran Affairs
- Department of Justice
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Health and Human Services, including housing assistance
- "New” Department of Commerce includes "old" departments of Commerce, Labor, Education, Agriculture, Interior, and Energy as well as Urban Development, Transportation (interstate and international), Environmental Protection, and Markets & Competition
BALANCE
- “New” Commerce becomes an advocate for the economy, free markets, competition, consumers, and public goods – not specific interests or industries.
- "New" Commerce also provides an opportunity to align the needs of commerce with education and the labor market.
- Move Veteran Affairs back within Department of Defense to maintain continuity of human capital as well as a connection between veterans and the Armed Forces.
- Move all health, nutrition, unemployment, housing, and other income security programs to the Department of Health and Human Services to create a concise, complete view of programs that provide assistance to individuals.
- Move all direct loan and loan guarantee programs to the Department of Treasury.
