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The WasteWatcherNever Ending Problems for the F-35
For the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), trouble has again reared its ugly head. Just two years after the F-35B was placed on “probation” by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Department of Defense (DOD) has grounded all three variants of...
The WasteWatcherGAO Releases Updated High-Risk Series
Every two years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases a report listing areas in the federal government it deems are at a high-risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.
The WasteWatcherOdd Choices in Afghanistan
In late December 2012, the United States Air Force (USAF) did not renew its contract with Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian-based defense contractor Finmeccanica, to refurbish and supply 20 G222s (also known as the C-27A) for the Afghan Air...
The WasteWatcherZombie Apocalypse Threatens Taxpayer Dollars, Not Nation’s Security
In December 2012, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released Safety At Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in U.S. Cities, which focused on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs, including the Urban Areas Security...
The WasteWatcherTanking the Taxpayers
The hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks that Congress has approved for upgrades to the M1 Abrams are so “vital” for national security that the Department of Defense (DOD) has more than 2,000 of the tanks parked in a California desert.
The WasteWatcherDefense Waste: The Final Frontier
As the country careens toward the automatic year-end program cuts and expiration of tax breaks labeled “the fiscal cliff,” Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has been on the offensive, releasing reports in consecutive months highlighting wasteful spending in...
The WasteWatcherCoburn Report Reveals Waste
During his 17 years as a senator and representative, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has established himself as a staunch opponent of frivolous federal spending. His annual Wastebook has regularly provided valuable information for taxpayers regarding...
The WasteWatcherSequestration: The Sky is Not Falling
On August 2, 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act (BCA), which raised the debt limit, cut $917 billion in federal spending over 10 years, and established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “super committee”). The super...
The WasteWatcherSenate Appropriators Whiff on MEADS
Senate appropriators do not appear to have gotten the memo.
The WasteWatcherTransparency Leads to Defunding of MEADS
A little transparency certainly goes a long way.
The WasteWatcherF-22 Plagued by Recurrent Problems, Cost, Lack of Mission
On the heels of much-publicized difficulties with the F-22 Raptor’s oxygen system, the Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded Lockheed Martin a $19 million contract to retrofit an automatic oxygen system on 40 of the planes it originally sold to...
The WasteWatcherPotential Savings Exist in MDAP
The current economic climate, record national debt, and automatic cuts to the Department of Defense (DOD) posed by sequestration have placed defense spending on the political front burner. Leaders in Washington, even inside the Pentagon, have stated...
