Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Federal Programs Waste Tens of Billions of Dollars Every Year

Federal Programs Waste Tens of Billions of Dollars Every Year:
As duplicative and wasteful federal programs go unreformed, a report published Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) affirms that the government is wasting "tens of billions of dollars" every year. According to the GAO, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, nearly every agency of the Executive Branch could use improvement.

The report shows 51 areas and proposes 130 actions for reform, following a 2011 report that identified 81 areas and 176 actions to be taken to "reduce or eliminate unnecessary duplication, overlap, or fragmentation or achieve other potential financial benefits."

"Collectively, these reports show that, if the actions are implemented, the government could potentially save tens of billions of dollars annually," Comptroller General Gene Dodaro (above left) asserted during Tuesday's hearing in the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee.