Doan Champions GSAs Clean Audit and Fiscally Responsible Budget before House Subcommittee
GSA # 10482
April 3, 2008
Contact: Diane Merriett, (202) 501-1231
diane.merriett@gsa.gov
WASHINGTON –- The GSA Administrator Lurita Doan, in testimony today before the House Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, detailed and supported the U. S. General Services Administration’s $20.9 billion fiscal year 2009 budget.
“GSA is better off today than it was a year ago. This year we are proposing more new and exciting ideas in the GSA FY 2009 budget request. We have returned to fiscal discipline and have proposed several innovative new priorities in construction and federal procurement,” said Administrator Doan. “The budget is balanced. We have a clean audit. We have restored and strengthened the trust and confidence of our largest customers: The Department of Defense and the Courts. This is a fiscally responsible budget request that will continue GSA’s commitment to excellence in the business of government.”
The FY 2009 budget request is the first submitted within the framework and under the direction of GSA’s 2007-2012 Strategic Plan. GSA’s new Strategic Plan establishes a new mission, new strategic goals, and re-affirms GSA’s core values of “Integrity,” “Accountability and Transparency in Operations,” and “Effective Leadership and Responsible Decision-Making.” The FY 2009 budget request includes some funding realignments necessary to fulfill GSA’s mission of leveraging the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and our federal customers. GSA has proposed some funding decreases and some limited funding increases that are specifically targeted at their new strategic goals of “Stewardship,” “Superior Workplaces,” “Best Value,” and “Innovation.”
GSA’s FY 2009 budget requests a total of $481.6 million in discretionary budget authority, just 2.2 percent of the agency’s total budget. The remaining funds come from payments for products and services that GSA provides to other federal agencies. The $481.6 million request includes $300.2 million in net budget authority for the Federal Buildings Fund, $172.9 million for GSA operating appropriations, and an additional $8.5 million to support the transition to a new Presidential Administration following the November 2008 general election. GSA supports Presidential Transition by providing office space, furniture, and information technology equipment and services to both the incoming and outgoing administrations.
The $172.9 million requested for GSA’s operating appropriations would fund critical operations, including: governmentwide policies on acquisition, travel, technology, and the management of real and personal property assets; GSA’s internal management and administration; real and personal property disposal programs; and a wide variety of direct citizen services, including operation of USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov, the official web portal of the U.S. government.
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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.
• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles.
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 425 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.
Did you know? The U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) leverages the buying power of the Federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and our Federal customers. We exercise responsible asset management. We deliver superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, and expert business solutions. We develop innovative and effective management policies.
