(Washington, D.C.) – Today in the nation’s capital, America’s premier waste watchdog released a 2009 Issue Brief and several timely WasteWatcher articles on government waste:

CAGW Issue Brief (2009-1)

The first in the 2009 series of Issue Briefs, CAGW released a five-page examination of Congress’s dismal oversight record.  As the House and Senate convene for the 111th Congress facing a record budget deficit and preparing a massive stimulus package, increased oversight of federal programs is essential to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively.  For far too long, Congress has failed to adequately perform its oversight responsibilities.  While holding more hearings would be helpful, that provides no guarantee that the problems will be corrected.

Forget Shovel Ready!  CCAGW and NTU Provide List of Ax-Ready Programs and Projects

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has sent Congress a $96.6 billion wish list of “shovel-ready” projects to allegedly create jobs and improve the nation’s infrastructure, but the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) are offering a different solution to stimulate the economy: an updated list of “ax-ready” programs and legislation that would reduce spending. 

Automatic Congressional Pay Raise

By Sean Kennedy

With the economy in recession, a national debt of $10.6 trillion, and a record estimated deficit of $1.2 trillion for the fiscal year, it seems a strange time for Congress to be receiving a pay raise, yet that is exactly what is scheduled to happen as the new session begins.

SCHIP Expansion Will Further Swamp Federal Budget

By John Frydenlund

Congress is poised to pass a massive expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  Originally, SCHIP was designed to help low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid gain access to health insurance for their children.  However, the proposed expansion of the SCHIP income eligibility level from the current 200 percent to at least 300 percent of the federal poverty line would make more than 71 percent of American children eligible for government-provided healthcare coverage and cost $69 billion over the next four and a half years.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.