WASHINGTON – U.S Senator Mark R. Warner today successfully amended the Budget Resolution to include language requiring additional performance measurements and promoting greater transparency in health care reform and transportation spending. Warner, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, achieved unanimous support for his proposed health care information transparency amendment, and the transportation accountability measure also was added to the committee proposal. 

The Budget Resolution supports expanded use of health information technology and data collection to improve patient safety and quality of care. The Warner amendment adds language promoting the use of health IT to emphasize transparency in cost and quality information for consumers. In addition, the Budget Committee chairman accepted Senator Warner’s language requiring a cost-benefit analysis and performance measurements within multimodal transportation programs, which includes projects that link more than one type of transportation, such as road, rail, ports and airports.  

 “Any significant health care reform must advance transparency in cost and quality information so that American consumers can be better informed about their options. Requiring this type of transparency also should influence the market to provide the best, highest-quality health care plans and services,” Senator Warner said.

 “In addition, applying sound business principles to transportation will make these programs more transparent, and put us on track toward strong fiscal responsibility,” Senator Warner said. “It also will allow better and more efficient use of a modern transportation system all across the country.”

Both amendments are consistent with Senator Warner’s remarks during his maiden floor speech in the U.S. Senate earlier this week.  In those remarks on Tuesday, Senator Warner called for a broad array of new accountability measurements based on credible standards that track both short- and longer-term outcomes to begin restoring taxpayer confidence in Washington. He also urged the White House to move quickly to appoint a Chief Performance Officer with wide authority to seek efficiency and savings across federal programs. 

“I believe every level of government should go the extra mile in laying out exactly how federal dollars are spent, and we should honestly measure and freely disclose program outcomes," Senator Warner said in floor remarks on Tuesday.  “In the short term, creating this expectation of accountability will maximize our 'bang-for-the-buck' as we continue to implement the Recovery Act. Over the longer term, the same kind of fiscal focus will demonstrate that Washington can, in fact, act with both competence and restraint when it comes to spending the taxpayer's money." 

As a result of businesslike reforms and responsible fiscal management during Senator Warner’s 2002-06 term as Governor, Virginia was designated as the nation's "Best Managed State" after an independent review.