Congressmen Frank Wolf, Tom Davis; IRS Commissioner Charles Rosotti, FEMA Director James Lee Witt Provide Keys To Better Public Policy, Limit "Gridlock"

The public can receive better government and less "gridlock," if Congress and the Executive Branch commit themselves to recommendations suggested recently at American University by U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf, U.S. Congressman Tom Davis, IRS Commissioner Charles Rosotti, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director James Lee Witt, and Maureen Gilman, National Treasury Employees Union Director of Legislation.

In a letter released today to presidential candidates, Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush, and the Leaders of the House and Senate, AU's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation Leadership Forum shares the suggestions for making the business of government more efficient and effective. The following are among the recommendations:

Agency heads and members of Congress must put their political differences about public policy creation aside to work together constructively in informal meetings to find solutions to agency operational issues. Agency heads and congressional members should encourage their staffs to follow their example to work together constructively. A clear line of communication must be maintained between the branches of government to lessen the likelihood of miscommunication, and correct those that do occur as quickly as possible.

Structural problems in the Congressional/Executive Branch relationship may inhibit dialogue.

Other suggestions in the letter include:

actions by agency leaders and members of Congress that build trust and relationships; actions that create mistrust; actions agency leaders can take to aid public policy implementation; actions members of Congress may take to help public policy implementation.

"Working together to implement public policy should be easier than creating new public policy," said Institute Director Robert M. Tobias. "Once public policy is created, it is important that the parties work together to make real the dream they jointly created."

Tobias, the former president of the National Treasury Employees Union for 16 years, founded American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation last year. The Institute's mission is to create a non-partisan forum bringing together members of Congress, political appointees, career executives, union leaders, manager association leaders, academics and the consulting community to better implement public policy.