GSA budget expands e-government projects

The General Services Administration's fiscal 2002 budget proposal includes $20 million to support the Bush administration's electronic government initiatives. GSA plans to expand its role in implementing e-government by increasing online procurement activities and by providing better citizen access to the government through the Internet. The agency also asked for $3 million to expand FirstGov, the government's one-stop Web portal built at the end of the Clinton administration. Another $6.5 million is allocated for the Federal Computer Incident Response Capability program, which assists agencies with computer security issues. Only 6.2 percent of GSA's $18.2 billion budget proposal is earmarked for employee salaries and benefits, as the agency has cut its workforce by 30 percent since fiscal 1993, a larger percentage than any other agency. GSA's budget proposal also includes its largest capital outlay for construction projects since 1994, with nearly $386 million earmarked for new buildings. The agency plans to finish 65 percent of its construction projects on time and within budget in 2002.

Another $827 million set aside for repairs and alterations will help the agency maintain and manage approximately 1,700 federal buildings. This year, GSA completed 78 percent of its repair projects on time and without cost overruns. It plans to improve that percentage in 2002.