GPO Issues Statement on the Blocking of Public Printer Boarman’s Nomination
WASHINGTON, DC—Dec. 18, 2011—According to a report by Roll Call, the Senate effectively killed any chance of William Boarman maintaining his position as Public Printer this past Saturday. The paper noted that “Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on the floor that new problems had arisen regarding Boarman’s nomination.”
Boarman has been serving as the head of the Government Printing Office (GPO) via a recess appointment by President Obama after is nomination was blocked.
In response to the action/inaction of the Senate, the GPO issued the following statement:
Bill Boarman has been honored to serve as the 26th Public Printer of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) for the last year. Having been nominated originally 20 months ago, reported out of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee unanimously twice, and not having been permitted to learn the nature of and respond to the objection to his confirmation, Boarman is disappointed in the result of Saturday’s Senate action.
Nevertheless, he is proud of GPO’s accomplishments this past year as the digital information platform for the Federal Government. As Public Printer, Boarman’s initiatives returned positive financial results that demonstrated GPO can do more with less by reducing the size and costs of the agency, streamlining operations, and utilizing new technology. Accomplishments during his tenure include:
- a buyout that targeted a reduction of 330 positions,
- creation of a special taskforce that to date has collected more than $12.5 million in outstanding payments owed by customer agencies,
- a GPO survey of congressional offices that allowed them to opt out of receiving printed copies of the documents,
- expansion of GPO’s social media channels by launching GPO’s Facebook page,
- release of GPO’s first mobile Web app, and
- development of a strategic vision for the agency and a strategic investment plan to modernize GPO’s technology.
Boarman looks forward to completing the remainder of the term of his appointment, which expires at the end of the Congressional session.
About the U.S. Government Printing Office
With 2,200 employees, GPO is the Federal Government’s primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in both digital and tangible formats. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program.
Source: GPO.
