Grade Deflation

Congressional Republicans Wednesday issued failing grades for federal agencies on their Government Performance and Results Act strategic plans, calling on agencies to redo their plans.

Only two agencies, the Transportation and Education departments, received higher than a D on their plans. Nineteen of the 24 largest federal agencies were given F's by congressional graders, who evaluated the strategic plans on the quality of their mission statements, strategic goals, and other factors. Four agencies, the Interior, Labor, Defense and Commerce Departments, were ranked at the bottom of the heap, all with scores below 30 out of 100.

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., said he will soon introduce legislation to require agencies to submit improved strategic plans by next year.

"I'm very disappointed that the Results Act hasn't achieved the desired results," Burton said.

House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, said Congress will use the Results Act to show that many programs are wasteful and should be eliminated. He said the act is "Congress's effort to try to force the bureaucracy to tell us what they're not doing well."

"It's about getting rid of things that quire frankly are clogging up the works here in America," Kasich said. In particular, Kasich targeted the Commerce Department, calling it an "attic for political junkies" who can't jobs anywhere else.

Congressional Evaluations of Agencies' Strategic Plans