(Bloomberg)
President Barack Obama will direct his administration as soon as tomorrow to
develop a plan to reshape the federal government that may include folding the
U.S. Trade Representative’s office into the Commerce Department, abolishing
some agencies and reducing the workforce, people familiar with the process
said.
“The U.S. needs to learn from
other countries,” said Jitinder Kohli, author of a report the administration is
studying on the reorganization by the Center for American Progress, a
Washington-based research group led by Obama adviser John Podesta.
Obama is facing Republican demands that he limit the size of the government by
stripping away layers of bureaucracy. Making the efficiency of trade agencies a
top priority may also help facilitate the president’s goal of doubling U.S. exports over the
coming years to boost the economy.
Obama tapped Jeffrey Zients, deputy director for management at the Office of
Management and Budget, to lead the reorganization effort on Jan. 30. Read more here.
