The establishment of well-intentioned programs that fail to achieve their objectives and waste taxpayer dollars is an unfortunately frequent occurrence in the federal government. A prominent example of such an outcome is the 340B program, created by Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act of 1992, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to […]
The 340B Drug Discount Program was created in 1992 and requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to sell drugs to “Covered Entities” (CEs), including non-profit hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic, at discounts of 20 to 50 percent. The program grew from $9 billion in 2014 to $66 billion in 2023, making it the second-largest federal […]
Federal healthcare programs are often well-intended but end up costing more than expected and become subject to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. One of the best (or worst) examples of such a result is the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The lack of clear intent […]
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program was intended to provide discounts on drugs to patients but the lack of a clear intent and patient definition, along with inadequate oversight, has led to the program being exploited by hospitals and contract pharmacies to generate millions of dollars in profit. The discounts are supposed to be provided […]
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) applauds a major victory for taxpayers, consumers, and rapid broadband deployment to close the digital divide as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) rescinds broadband price controls and other non-statutory guidance following a strong push for these changes by CAGW. On June 6, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information […]
District of Columbia (D.C.) Mayor Muriel Bowser and the City Council are proposing to give a billion-dollar taxpayer handout to the Washington Commanders for a new football field to replace Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium. While Mayor Bowser is championing the deal as a defining achievement of her administration, giving more than $1 billion to […]
Welcome to This Week in Waste, a series by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) that highlights how taxpayer dollars are being wasted in the federal, state, and local levels of government and effort to fight back against this spendthrift behavior. The F-35 Alternate Engine Should Not Be Revived There should be no third bite at […]
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and 10 states are pushing to restrict the kinds of foods and drinks Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can purchase. These proposals would have no direct fiscal effect, as total SNAP funding levels would remain unchanged, but they would limit personal choices and individual freedom and expand government control over […]
High-speed rail projects across the U.S. continue to be challenged as the federal government reviews the effectiveness of its expenditures. On April 14, 2025, the Department of Transportation (DOT) terminated Amtrak’s contract with Texas Central Partners to build the Texas Central Railway, a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. The $63.9 million in unspent […]
Sacramento’s quixotic project leads the way as the nation’s most expensive and wasteful passenger rail boondoggle
