03.03.15

Chairman Enzi: Tackle America’s Chronic Overspending by Eliminating Duplication in Government Programs

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said during a hearing today that one way Congress could tackle America’s chronic overspending problem is by rooting out needless duplicative spending and programs in the federal government.  

“Americans know that the government overspends too much, taxes too much, borrows too much, regulates too much, and now owes way too much,” said Chairman Enzi. “But what the government does too little of is make any credible attempt to ensure that taxpayers are getting the best deal for their money. One of the ways our chronic overspending problem could be improved is with a commitment to rooting out the needless duplicative spending in our federal government.”  

Testifying at today’s hearing was Gene L. Dodaro, the Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO has outlined tens of billions of dollars in savings that can be achieved through various efficiency measures. Enzi noted that the federal government has grown so large and complex that no one seems to know how many federal programs exist. Several years ago, Congress passed a law requiring the administration to publish a list of all federal programs on a central, government wide website, along with related budget and performance information. Unfortunately, when the program lists were published, GAO reviewed the information and discovered that the inventory, in their words, was “not a useful tool for decision making.”

“Addressing these programs identified by GAO would help protect hardworking taxpayers by ensuring that spending programs do not duplicate each other. This would ensure that they focus on real needs and real results, which would make our government more efficient and more effective,” Chairman Enzi said.  “In light of our chronic overspending and dangerous debt, we should act to consolidate duplicative spending programs that are spread across our government and in so doing, save taxpayers billions of dollars every year.”

 

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