On March 13, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing to examine the costs and impacts of federal “crisis budgeting” on federal employees and contractors, state and local governments, businesses and the public. NASBO Executive Director Scott Pattison testified at the hearing on behalf of states’ budget officers to raise their concerns about the impact of federal funding uncertainty. In his testimony, Pattison explained that federal funding uncertainty inhibits long-term strategic planning, disrupts budget preparation and program management, increases costs over time, and leads to other inefficiencies. He recommended that Congress provide greater certainty about the funding level and timing of federal appropriations, as well as more flexibility to states, to reduce costs and help states focus on improving program performance. Similar issues were raised by the other witnesses serving on the panel, including Phil Joyce, Professor of Management at the University of Maryland, Colleen Kelley, President of the National Treasury Employees Union, and Stan Soloway, President of the Professional Services Council, a membership organization of federal contractors.

Link: Hearing Webcast and Materials; NASBO Blog Post