Following the release of Office of Management and Budget’s plan to restructure the executive branch, agencies have begun to discuss plans to eliminate unnecessary regulations and reduce their workforces.
OMB’s plan, which was previously reported by MeriTalk, requires agencies to take immediate action on reducing their workforce and saving money, and submit a long-term plan for maximizing worker performance by the end of June. Agencies will also be required to submit an Agency Reform Plan within 180 days to modernize and streamline operations.
OMB released its plan in response to President Donald Trump’s March 13 executive order to cut back on government waste by reorganizing the executive branch.
“Billions and billions of dollars are being wasted on activities that are not delivering results for hardworking American taxpayers,” said Trump.
OMB said that it would work with agencies to identify restructuring opportunities. OMB, agency, and citizen input will all be incorporated into a comprehensive reorganization plan as part of the president’s FY19 budget.
MeriTalk surveyed a cross-section of Federal agencies to find out what plans, if any, they have put together to meet OMB’s requirements. Here’s what we found.
Agriculture
A USDA spokesperson could not comment on the agency’s reorganization plan “until after the Secretary Designee is confirmed by the Senate and is in place at USDA.” The Senate is scheduled to confirm Sonny Perdue, Trump’s selection for Secretary of Agriculture, on April 24.