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TOPICS
House GOP frosh create waste-watching brigade
Three freshmen members of Congress have become the latest to launch a crusade against misuse of taxpayer dollars by federal agencies.
On Wednesday, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Tom Feeney, both Florida Republicans, and Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, announced the creation of "Washington Waste Watchers: A Working Group to Combat Government Waste, Fraud and Abuse."
"Each year, millions of hard-earned tax dollars are needlessly squandered on fraud, agency overpayments, duplication, lack of oversight and abuse," said Feeney.
The group's members said they would take to the House floor each Wednesday to highlight examples of wasteful spending.
According to a report in the Naples, Fla., Daily News, Diaz-Balart was known as "The Slasher" during his days in the Florida legislature because of his 1995 effort to cut state agencies' spending by 25 percent.
The formation of the congressional group is the latest in a long line of efforts to target wasteful federal spending. Most recently, the House Budget Committee announced a campaign in May aimed at rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.
Congress's fiscal 2004 budget resolution requires House and Senate authorizing committees to identify ways of saving 1 percent of the budgets of the agencies they oversee by eliminating waste.
COMMENTS
- Until you stop penalizing government agencies with threats of cuts because they (for whatever reason) did not spend everything forcing them in the last days of the fiscal year to go out and buy all kinds of "crap," such as more pens then they can use in the next year, that dry up and get thrown out before use; enough paper clips for 20 offices; new chairs, in/out boxes -- you name it just to spend year end funds. There needs to be an incentive program not a punishment program. This is just one small area. There are many other areas. The lodging success program is great. But thereare times when it acutally ends up costing the government more money than an equal place closer to where you need to be. Or an equal place closer has free parking and other places have substantial parking fees. There are a lot of areas if someone takes the time to track them down and enact rules that will result in changes as to how we do things in the government. To many people think if they don't spend it then someone else will. Another place to start is punishing individuals who abuse and misuse the government IMPACT card. More than $6 billion in fraudalent purchases. With no mention of any punishment. Something is wrong. Someone needs to go jail and some others need to be fired. Plus restitution. Something is wrong!!!!!! GovExec.com reader Posted July 18, 2003 9:33 AM
- Commendable effort, and badly needed; however, suggest that they also include the executive and legislative branches of government in this review, and more specifically Congress. I'm sure they could stay fully occupied just with these areas. "House cleaning" is a good thing." GovExec.com reader Posted July 18, 2003 9:32 AM
