This Week In Waste – August 8, 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.
Markwayne Mullin Wants to Make 340B Work for Oklahomans
The 340B Drug Pricing Program, originally designed to help low-income and uninsured patients through drug discounts, has been widely exploited due to vague eligibility criteria and lack of oversight, allowing hospitals and contract pharmacies to profit instead. Rapid program expansion has driven up healthcare costs for both private employers and state employee health plans. Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Okla.) push for clearer patient definitions and stronger accountability are key reforms that will help save money and reduce the cost of drugs for Oklahomans. Read more here.
States Should Refrain from Bulk Billing Bans
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr’s withdrawal of a proposed rule restricting bulk billing agreements in multi-tenant properties preserves affordable broadband access for millions of Americans. AB 1414 in California would undermine that decision by allowing opt-outs that would drive up prices and limit bulk billing efficiency. The proposed state legislation ignores bipartisan opposition and would increase the digital divide. Read more here.
DOGE on the Hill: Sniffing Out Waste in Congress
On his first day in office, President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already identified up to $199 billion in potential savings through contract cancellations, asset sales, and workforce reforms. Several bills have been introduced in Congress to codify and expand DOGE’s mission. Read more here.
Feinman: ‘No Particular Reason’ for BEAD Labor Requirements
Former Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Administrator Evan Feinman criticized the guidance that his agency adopted, which caused delays in getting funding for the $42.5 billion program issued to the states. Read more here.
FCC Repeals Antiquated Rules and Regulations
The FCC voted to repeal 98 rules and requirements, eliminating 71 rule provisions, 12 pages, and over 5,000 words from its regulatory code as part of its ongoing effort to modernize its framework and delete outdated regulations from the U.S. Code. Most of the repealed rules dated back to the analog broadcasting era and no longer aligned with modern media transmission and monitoring in the digital age. Read more here.
