As part of her commitment to cutting waste and duplication in government, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today announced that she is cosponsoring common sense, bipartisan legislation that could save up to nearly $200 billion by cutting wasteful spending, eliminating duplication, and increasing efficiency. The Savings, Accountability, Value, and Efficiency Act (SAVE Act) draws on waste-cutting recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and was introduced by Representatives Patrick Murphy (D-FL) and David Joyce (R-OH), both of whom serve with Kuster in the bipartisan United Solutions Caucus.

“We need to cut spending and reduce the deficit in a smart, strategic way that targets waste, duplication, and inefficiency across the federal government,” Kuster said. “That’s exactly what the SAVE Act does. This common sense bill could save up to nearly $200 billion by cracking down on wasteful and duplicative spending, while protecting critical priorities that help create jobs, grow the economy, and strengthen the middle class. I’m proud to join members of both parties in helping move this important legislation forward.”

The SAVE Act could produce up to nearly $200 billion in savings through a host of reforms, including:

• Eliminating a duplicative catfish inspection program within the USDA;
• Consolidating data centers across federal agencies to allow for cost savings and increased efficiency;
• Improving the ability of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to find and eliminate fraud through better data collection and analysis;
• Improving best practices in federal agency contract competition to reduce the number of noncompetitive contracts and to reduce expenses;
• Improving management and utilization of the government’s 400,000 buildings to reduce expenses on excess or underutilized space;

Kuster is committed to cutting waste and inefficiency across the federal government while protecting important services for New Hampshire families and seniors. Earlier this month, she partnered with Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to introduce the Closing Long-Empty Accounts Now Act (CLEAN Act), legislation that would force federal agencies to eliminate empty bank accounts that cost million to maintain despite serving no purpose.

Kuster is also a founding member of the United Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of new members of Congress who are focused on finding common sense solutions to our nation’s fiscal challenges. Kuster serves as a Co-Chair of the Caucus’s Efficiencies and Consolidations Task Force.

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Press Contact:
Rob Friedlander, (202) 225-5206