House GOP leaders renew 'waste, fraud and abuse' campaign

House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, GOP leaders and several committee chairmen today kicked off an effort called for in the budget resolution to scrutinize the mandatory programs within their jurisdiction and identify examples of waste, fraud and abuse sufficient to reduce outlays by those programs by 1 percent.

Nussle said that, compared to diffuse and sporadic past attempts to cut government waste, this year will be different because the campaign has the support of the GOP leadership, the House Republican Conference and the committee chairmen.

The budget resolution directs committee chairmen to submit their findings to the Budget Committee by Sept. 3.

Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox, R-Calif., and Energy and Commerce Chairman Tauzin spoke about the examples of programs within their committees' jurisdiction where they are finding wasteful government spending, such as civil service hiring and firing, Defense Department procurement, Immigration and Naturalization Service reform and the e-rate program for schools and libraries.

Also today, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Don Nickles, R-Okla., announced the start of his parallel effort calling on committee chairmen to find examples of waste, fraud and abuse in the mandatory programs under their jurisdiction sufficient to achieve 1 percent in savings overall. Unlike his House counterpart, Nickles has laid out specific savings targets for each of the authorizing committees.