White House releases government reorganization fact sheet

In an effort to make U.S. government leaner, smarter and more consumer-friendly, President Obama has called on Congress to reinstate presidential authority to reorganize the government. With the exception of President Ford, presidents had this sort of authority for almost the entire period from 1932 through 1984. However, unlike the authority granted to Presidents in the past, this proposal would initiate new accountability by mandating that any plan must consolidate government – reducing the number of agencies or saving taxpayer dollars.

The President’s first proposed use of that authority is to consolidate six agencies into one more efficient department to promote competitiveness, exports and American business. For too long, overlapping responsibilities among agencies have made it harder, rather than easier, for small businesses to interact with government.  Those redundancies have also led to unnecessary waste and duplication.

The six departments and agencies to be consolidated focus primarily on business and trade in the federal government and are the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The new Department would lead the development and implementation of an integrated, strategic, government-wide trade effort and focus on helping businesses grow and thrive.

The Department’s new website, BuisnessUSA, will be unveiled shortly.

For more information about the President’s authority to reorganize the government, please follow the links below.
Government Reorganization Fact Sheet, The White House
BusinessUSA