This Week in Waste – April 25, 2025
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 efforts to fight back against this spendthrift behavior.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Announces Hearing on Department of Defense Budget and Audit Failures
The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations announced that it will be holding a hearing on April 29, 2025, on financial management at the Department of Defense (DOD). CAGW noted that the DOD failed to complete a clean audit for seven consecutive years and is the only federal agency that has not gone through a clean audit under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990.
NTIA Extends BEAD Submission Deadline by 90 Days
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced a 90-day extension for applications from states seeking funding under the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program while the agency considers revisions to its guidance. Funding approvals were delayed due to issues surrounding the guidance for funding issued by NTIA in 2022 and expanding the opportunity for more providers to participate should help increase the number of families and businesses connecting to the internet.
Oregon Senate Passes Bill to Pay for Baseball Stadium
The Oregon Senate passed SB 110 on April 17, 2025, to provide up to $800 million in taxpayer funds to be used to build a baseball stadium in downtown Portland. The legislation raises the cap on taxpayer funding from the $150 million, which was set in place in 2003, to $800 million to partially finance a new stadium that is expected to cost $2 billion. Supporters of the bill hope that the financing will attract a new Major League Baseball team to Portland, although there are no concrete plans to expand or relocate a team to the area. CAGW has often noted the negative impact of stadiums on local taxpayers and the economy.
In a World of AI, Intellectual Property Rights Must Be Protected
Protecting intellectual property should be on the forefront on World IP Day. Read more here.
DOT Terminates Funding for Texas Train
The Trump administration is right to cancel federal funding for inherently wasteful high-speed rail projects. Read more here.
CAGW President Tom Schatz Comments Spotlighted by Huffington Post and Marketwatch
CAGW President Tom Schatz commented on DOGE this week. Read more here and here.
