{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=76FF19D5-9DFF-41FA-9570-2DBEA52C2339", "Heitkamp, Ernst Bill to Promote Efficient, Effective Federal Programs Becomes Law", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BISMARCK, N.D. \u2013 U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joni Ernst of Iowa today announced that the president signed into law their bipartisan legislation to make federal government programs more efficient and effective. The Senate and House passed the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act earlier this year.\r\n\u201cOur bipartisan bill becoming law is a win for accountability and transparency. The federal government will now do more to make sure federal programs are well managed \u2013 saving taxpayers\u2019 money and reducing waste,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cIt\u2019s an important step for North Dakota communities and businesses that rely on federal programs, whether in agriculture, energy, or beyond. Good management practices can make all the difference in guaranteeing efficient, effective federal programs and making sure they are well implemented locally.\u201d\r\n\u201cI am thrilled that President Obama has signed our bipartisan Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act into law,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cIowans sent me to Washington with a mission to make the federal government less wasteful and more efficient, and the passage of this legislation is an important step in doing just that. The Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act reduces cost overruns and increases accountability to create a more productive government through better management procedures. I am pleased we were able to make meaningful progress in safeguarding our taxpayers\u2019 hard-earned tax dollars, and remain committed to continuing to look for new ways to eliminate waste.\u201d\r\nBy increasing oversight of government agencies, providing a better review process for best practices, and improving training and standards for federal managers, Heitkamp and Ernst\u2019s bipartisan bill sets a template that raises the bar for the management of the federal programs communities need \u2013 and that taxpayers are counting on to run efficiently and effectively.\r\nClick here to read the bill text.\r\nThe Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act will:\r\n \r\nEstablish a leader within each agency that is focused on program management.\r\n \r\n \r\nCreate an inter-agency Program Management Council to drive improvements through portfolio reviews of agency programs and encourage communications between agencies and program management professionals.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire the development of a specific job category with distinct qualification for project managers.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire the federal government to adopt widely-accepted program management best practices and standards.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire the Government Accountability Office to issue a report three years after the bill\u2019s enactment on its overall effectiveness and impact on program management in the federal government.\r\n \r\n \r\nWork directly with the Department of Defense to improve its current procedures while making sure to not duplicate existing efforts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=76FF19D5-9DFF-41FA-9570-2DBEA52C2339"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9738670196384192, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}