This Week In Waste – February 13, 2026
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.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Delivers Meaningful Tax Relief for Seniors
In addition to extending and expanding the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the OBBBA fulfilled President Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. The OBBBA will allow taxpayers aged 65 and over to deduct between $6,000 and $12,000 from their taxes for tax years 2025-2028. Read more here.
A Balanced Budget Amendment Is Essential
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its 10-year budget outlook on February 11, 2026. CBO expects the fiscal year (FY) 2026 federal budget deficit to grow to $1.853 trillion, an increase of $78 billion over FY 2025. Between FYs 2026 and 2036, gross federal debt will rise by 62 percent, from $39.4 trillion in 2026 to $63.7 trillion in 2036. Adoption of a balanced budget amendment is essential to keep the country from falling off a fiscal cliff by forcing discipline into federal spending. Read more here.
President Trump Rules Out Reconciliation 2.0
President Trump confirmed that he is not interested in advancing a second reconciliation package through Congress. While a second reconciliation package would be the most comprehensive way to reduce spending and reform mandatory spending programs, the President indicated in an interview with Larry Kudrow that he is “focusing on smaller-scale bills.” Read more here.
San Francisco Mayor Closes the $5 Million Homeless Bar
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie (D) decided to scrap the city’s $5 million per year “Managed Alcohol Program,” which handed out free alcoholic beverages to the city’s homeless population. Only 55 homeless people participated in the program, meaning the city spent $454,000 per person to encourage alcohol addiction on the public dime. The mayor’s decision to scrap the program is overdue as the city faces a $1 billion deficit. Read more here.
