Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today praised President George W. Bush’s first 100 days in office and urged him to press ahead with long overdue reforms of federal government.

“The president deserves high marks for bucking the beltway status quo,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Bush’s efforts to slow the rate of federal budget growth and pork and return some of the tax overcharge to the American people show he is concerned about streamlining our bloated, inefficient government.”  

“By capping the $1.96 trillion budget’s growth at 4 percent, the president makes it significantly tougher for lots of last minute pork and bogus ‘emergency spending’ to be added on,” Schatz added.  “The idea that the general welfare would be imperiled by ‘only’ increasing spending by four percent is preposterous and illustrates the entrenched, tax-and-spend mentality in Congress.”

“Despite a superabundance of tax money in Washington and a sluggish economy, many in Congress continue to maintain the federal government can’t afford any serious tax reductions,” Schatz also said.  “The Bush Administration, particularly Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels, has forcefully pushed Congress towards greater spending restraint and increased oversight of government agencies.”

In recent weeks, news reports have confirmed the steady stream of tax dollars wasted in Washington: The Social Security Administration reported it had paid $76 million to convicts from 1997-2000; the Department of Education announced it lost $450 million last year; the Immigration and Naturalization Service announced it lost $70 million worth of property, including guns and explosives; the State Department reported it owned a half-acre parking lot worth $10 million in Paris.  If Congress just cut wasteful, ineffective, and duplicative programs and subsidies, CAGW estimates over $1.2 trillion could be saved over five years. 

Last year, as surpluses rolled into Washington, federal spending increased at a rate of 8 percent.  The year before it increased 11 percent.  Meanwhile, pork-barrel spending skyrocketed to unprecedented levels of $17.7 billion in 2000 and $18.5 billion in 2001. 

After the current tax battle, CAGW advocates the administration empanel a private sector commission to review the performance of federal agencies and propose reforms to bring about a more accountable government.  The model for such a commission could combine the Grace Commission from the 1980s with the military base-closing commission of the 1990s.

“The president’s priorities are on the right track and CAGW supports his approach,” Schatz added.  “He must continue to push for greater transparency, efficiency, and reform of government, and challenge the Senate and House to join him in efforts to eliminate the waste status quo.”

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