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• Members of Congress have proposed expanding the role of the Postal Service, to include things like banking services. But GAO said adding those functions could increase operation costs, and decrease the efficiency of its mail and package delivery. USPS officials said current laws imposes limits on what non-postal activities the agency can carry out. (Government Accountability Office)

• The House Modernization Committee has approved its third package of recommendations to improve House operations. The 16 recommendations include greater bulk purchasing of House products and services to reduce costs, and an update to travel expenditure policies to improve transparency. The lawmakers also recommend bipartisan staff briefings, and agenda-setting retreats for other House committees. The committee has introduced legislation that would implement its first two rounds of recommendations. (House Modernization Committee)

• Several agencies have the authority to give away unwanted property, like vehicles, lab equipment, and computers, to universities and other non-federal entities. But the Government Accountability Office has found the General Services Administration doesn’t have reliable data on how much property is disposed of this way. Without it, GAO says agencies there could be missed opportunities. (Government Accountability Office)

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