Is Washington’s Wasteful Spending Waning?

Every year, it’s the same old story: first, the president submits his budget – like he did last week. Then, the House tears it up (no pun intended) and fails to pass a budget of their own.  And then, Congress kicks the can down the road before—finally—cramming through a last minute budget busting bill.

This dysfunctional process allows wasteful spending to continue year after year, unchecked. Folks, this cycle has got to end if we are ever going to start chipping away at our ballooning national debt.

If hardworking Iowa families have to manage their budgets, we should expect the same from the federal government. That is why I am giving my February Squeal Award to Washington for its broken budget process and lack of transparency. 

December Squeal Award: Washington

Now, as you know, one of the best ways to rein in this excessive spending is to call out waste when and where we see it, which is why I give out my monthly Squeal Award to Washington’s most egregious wasters of your hard earned tax dollars.

And I’m excited to report that our “squealing” has finally been heard at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue! Two of my Squeal Award recipients – binge buying bureaucrats and the infamous “moondoggle” – have been targeted by President Trump in his latest budget proposal.

Click here or on the image above to watch me discuss my latest Squeal efforts. 

In his proposal, the president commits to stopping “use it or lose it” end-of-year spending. You remember…this is when Washington bureaucrats go on a billion dollar spending spree at the end of each fiscal year, buying things like crab legs and even a foosball table, before the leftover money in their budgets expires. (My End of the Year Fiscal Responsibility Act would put an end to this madness).

The president is also joining me in calling out the disastrous NASA contractor who is failing to develop the rockets to return man to the moon. This taxpayer-funded contractor’s poor performance has put the mission years behind schedule and over budget – and the contractor is still getting a bonus! (My Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act and Bogus Bonus Ban Act would help solve both of these issues). 

But as I mentioned, the president’s budget doesn’t usually see the finish line, so we MUST codify these efforts into law. If we don’t, Washington’s wasteful spending will just continue. That’s why I put forward the MAKE CENTS Act, which would force Congress to pass a budget on time and create more transparency and accountability for the American taxpayer.

My commonsense bill: 

• Provides an annual report listing every government-funded project that is $1 billion or more over budget or five years or more behind schedule.

• Requires every project supported with federal funds to include a price tag that is easily available for taxpayers.

• Eliminates “use-it or lose-it” impulse purchases by limiting spending in the last two months of the fiscal year to the average spent in every other month. 

• Prohibits Congress from going on recess without passing a budget on time.

• Forbids Congress from getting paid if a budget has not been approved on time.

Do you have an example of government waste or inefficiencies that I should take a look at? Send me an email by clicking here.

Thank you!