{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9fc60b37-f9ff-49ec-a4d0-9492183778eb", "Heitkamps Bipartisan Bill to Reduce Waste, Promote Better Federal Management Passes Senate", "2015-12-01", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the Senate passed her bipartisan bill to cut red tape in the federal government by reducing waste, and promoting more responsible, effective management of federal programs to better support North Dakotas businesses and workers.\r\nFostering an effective, helpful relationship between federal government agencies and our businesses, farming, and energy communities means making sure that the federal programs these communities count on are well-managed, said Heitkamp. The federal government should be a support for our businesses and workers, not a burden. Our bipartisan, commonsense bill, which the Senate passed, aims to accomplish that goal by cutting federal waste, and boosting the critical work of our farmers, energy producers, and small businesses.\r\nWorking with Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, Heitkamp  the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee overseeing the federal workforce  introduced the bipartisan Program Management Improvement Accountability Act this spring to help make sure the federal managers that run the programs and agencies that North Dakotans depend on  such as offices that approve energy development, help farmers, or provide safe roads and bridges for businesses and families  have the framework to improve their performance. By increasing oversight of government agencies, providing a better review process for best practices, and improving training and standards for federal managers, Heitkamp and Ernst worked together to set a template that raises the bar for the management of the federal programs communities need  and that taxpayers are counting on to run efficiently and effectively. Less than two weeks after Heitkamp and Ernst introduced their bill, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs passed their bipartisan legislation. Striving to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal government, Heitkamp consistently works across the aisle to support and protect consumers and small business in North Dakota and across the country. In March, Heitkamp and Republican Senator James Lankfordof Oklahoma  who chairs the subcommittee in the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs she helps lead  launched their #CutRedTape Initiativeto gather stories about how federal regulations are impacting Americans across the country every day, and work to improve these regulations by reducing waste, stopping backlogs, and cutting red tape.\r\nHeitkamp has long been leading efforts to make the federal government and workforce more effective and efficient in North Dakota and across the country. In May, Heitkamp helped lead a Senate Subcommittee hearing on issues in the federal workforce, highlighting the challenges of attracting and keeping a young, talented workforce and discussing ways to encourage millennials to choose a career in public service. In September 2014, Heitkamp brought U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta to Minot Air Force Base and New Town to hear firsthand the challenges federal employees face and what steps can be taken to improve federal workforce retention and recruitment efforts. Since Archuletas visit, Heitkamp has announced pay rate increases for nearly 500 federal employees in North Dakota.\r\n###", 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=9fc60b37-f9ff-49ec-a4d0-9492183778eb"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9832438081502914, "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"}