A congressional committee appears poised to push through a legislative campaign against government waste that, left unamended, could kill needed federal programs without giving the voters a say in the matter.

One key measure, titled the Government Efficiency Act (HR 5766), recently passed the House Committee on Government Reform. This measure could sacrifice transparency on the altar of "efficiency."

The bill would establish a series of "sunset commissions," each of which would examine clusters of federal agencies and programs and recommend which ones should "sunset," or in essence, cease to exist.

Sounds fair enough. But there are several red flags here. One is the fast-tracking schedule for actions on the commission reports, a procedure leaving little room for challenge or review.

Another troubling gap is the provision to consider duplication between the government agency and a service in the private sector as grounds for shutting down a program. Without setting standards for analyzing the quality of the private service, the bill would enable unwarranted closures.

Most distressingly, the legislation leaves it up to each commission whether to hold hearings. That's abysmal: The opportunity for public participation should be required.

There's nothing wrong with sunset in government — as long as the public isn't left in the dark.