I am one who appreciates our military and wants it to be strong and effective. Under our Constitution, one of the main purposes of the federal government is to “provide for the common defense.” But that does not mean that Congress and the Defense Department cannot root out wasteful spending. Here is a good example […]
Put On the Daddy Pants
Politico Pro, a Washington D.C.-based policy magazine, recently wrote a piece entitled, “The Sequester’s Slow Burn,” by Darren Samuelsohn. He starts off by saying, “So the era of sequestration has meant furloughs for more than 800,000 workers and entire agencies are shuttered for days – and those were the easy cuts. There are nine more years […]
Bottom Feeders Take a Bite Out of the Farm Bill
On June 10, 2013 the Senate passed its version of the 2013 Farm Bill, which included a provision to create a new catfish inspection office at the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jean Shaheen (D-N.H.) sponsored an amendment that would have eliminated the program, but a vote was blocked by Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).
Brand USA: a Gravy Train Keeps Rolling
On the increasingly rare occasion that Congress gets around to passing a bill, it is not at all uncommon for the final version to include measures that bear no relation to the legislation’s title or stated intent.
Bottom Feeders Take a Bite Out of the Farm Bill
On June 10, 2013 the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill, which included provisions to operate catfish inspections by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jean Shaheen (D-N.H.) sponsored an amendment that would have eliminated the program, but a vote was blocked by Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie […]
Boneheaded Bonuses and Boondoggles
Just when you thought the IRS had been properly chastised and humbled for its egregious behavior with respect to its over-the-top spending on training conferences, some $50 million between 2010 and 2012, the agency is now preparing to hand out $70 million in bonus money to its employees. This is being done in spite of […]
“Campaign to Cut Waste” Falls Short
On June 13, 2011, President Obama issued Executive Order No. 13576, which called for “Delivering an Effective, Efficient and Accountable Government.” In a short video released on June 12, 2011, President Obama identified specific examples of the types of savings that could be achieved through the Executive Order. He touted the entire effort as his “Campaign to Cut Waste,” which, […]
Senators Seek Elimination of Wasteful and Overlapping Benefit Payments
On June 6, NBC News and The Wall Street Journal released a poll that showed Americans blame welfare programs more than any other reason for persistent poverty in the United States. The poll was conducted between May 30 and June 2 and sampled 1,000 adults. Respondents were given a list of eight factors and were […]
Postal Reform: A Chance for Republicans to Say Yes!
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
Getting Rid of Antiquated Federal Programs
All things must end; however, federal agencies always seem to find new ways to justify continuing obsolete programs, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utility Service (RUS).