Senator Murray Commends House Passage of Bipartisan Evidence-Based Policy Bill, Will Push for Senate Passage to Make Government Work Better for People

Legislation based on final findings & unanimous recommendations from commission created by Senator Murray and House Speaker Paul Ryan in 2016 

Senator Murray: “Now it’s time for the Senate to act…to make sure federal policies are driven by data, based on evidence, and responsive to the needs of families and communities in Washington state and around the country”

ICYMI: Roll Call: Evidence-Based bill “a tremendous first step” toward “bringing our government’s data and evidence-building infrastructure into the 21st century”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded the passage of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act in the House of Representatives and reiterated her push for Senate passage as quickly as possible. Senator Murray, joined by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), recently introduced the bill in both chambers based on final recommendations from the bipartisan evidence-based policymaking commission created in 2016, which the commission approved on a unanimous 15-0 vote. The legislation implements a number of the commission’s findings by establishing a more secure, transparent, and efficient data system to help federal agencies better assess the effectiveness of their programs. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by voice vote.

“Making government work as efficiently as possible for the people it serves should always be a bipartisan effort, and I’m glad our bill to improve how we evaluate government programs to better serve the families and communities who depend on them passed the House today supported by members from both sides,” said Senator Murray. “This bill is an important first step toward our shared goal of making the most efficient use of taxpayer resources and protecting the investments we’ve made in our communities. Now it’s time for the Senate to act on this legislation to make sure federal policies are driven by data, based on evidence, and responsive to the needs of families and communities in Washington state and around the country.”

Supported by both chairs of the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission and a bipartisan coalition of over 100 groups and leaders, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act requires federal agencies to submit an evidence-building plan and consolidates them into one government-wide plan, requires federal agencies to appoint or designate a Chief Evaluation Officer to coordinate evidence-building activities and data collection within the agency, and establishes an advisory committee to promote best practices for coordinating data policy and procedures, among other provisions implementing key recommendations of the Commission. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is a co-sponsor of the Senate bill. Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), and House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) are original co-sponsors in the House.