Statement on House Passage of Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Evidence Commission

RFA PRAISES BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS FOR PROMOTING EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING

RFA Praises Bipartisan Lawmakers for Promoting Evidence-Based Policymaking

Results for America Statement on House Passage of Ryan-Murray Bipartisan Evidence Commission RFA Praises Bipartisan Lawmakers for Promoting Evidence-Based Policymaking

Results for America CEO and Co-founder Michele Jolin issued the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015 unanimously by voice vote. The legislation is sponsored by U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), and the companion bill in the Senate is sponsored by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). The legislation would provide policymakers with more information and access to data so that government can make better decisions for children, families, and communities.

“Results for America applauds the passage of the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015. This bill would make data more open, transparent, and accessible so that both the public and private sector can improve government services and produce better results for all Americans. The bipartisan support for the bill reflects a growing consensus that we’ve seen building across the country. We call this a Moneyball approach to governing because policymakers are using data, evidence, and evaluation to make more informed decisions to improve the lives of young people, their families, and communities.”

The Obama administration has also expressed support for the Commission. The FY16 budget request included $10 million to improve the work of the Census Bureau, which would include creating a commission focused on realizing the potential of administrative data. The commission would make recommendations for how to make additional administrative data available for evaluation and other statistical uses, while ensuring data security and fully protecting privacy and confidentiality.

About Results for America
Results for America is improving outcomes for young people, their families and communities by shifting public resources toward practices, policies, and programs that use evidence and data to improve quality and get better results. In a climate of constrained resources and mounting demands, we know that public funds must increasingly be invested in “what works.”

In November 2014, Results for America published Moneyball for Government, the national bestselling book that brings together a group of bipartisan leaders and makes the case for government at all levels to inform public policy and funding decisions by using the best possible data, evidence and evaluation about what works. In January, 2016, RFA published the second edition of Moneyball for Government featuring a new bipartisan chapter about the importance of using data and evidence to drive U.S. foreign assistance. Go to www.results4america.org for more information about Results for America.