This Week In Waste – March 27, 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.
CAGW Names New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani March 2026 Porker of the Month
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is CAGW’s March 2026 Porker of the Month for pushing his socialist agenda on New Yorkers. His $127 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 is the largest in New York City’s history. It would raise taxes and massively increase spending without any budget cuts, making New York City less affordable. Read more here.
White House Releases Framework for Artificial Intelligence
On March 20, 2026, President Trump released his long-awaited national artificial intelligence (AI) legislative framework. The administration made it clear that a patchwork or state laws would impact innovation and U.S. global leadership in AI. Read more here.
State PBM Bans Would Devastate Pharmacy Access
Since the beginning of 2026, lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have considered legislation that would prohibit a pharmacy benefit manager that owns a pharmacy from operating in the state. These bills would make prescription medications less accessible, more expensive, and lead to thousands of job losses. Read more here.
Export-Import Bank Should Not Be Reauthorized
The Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank was established in 1934 to encourage American exports. However, the bank subsidizes large and profitable companies that would otherwise have no difficulty in obtaining funding from the commercial banking system and is a waste of taxpayer resources. The bank should not be reauthorized; it should be eliminated. Read more here.
FirstNet Reauthorization Bill Moves Forward to Full House
On March 25, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee ordered reported out of committee H.R. 7386, The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act by a vote of 50 to 0. This bill will allow FirstNet to continue to operate for 10 years and place the program directly under the control of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. FirstNet provides first responders the network they need to communicate during a crisis. Read more here.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) Advocate for Data Center Ban
On March 25, 2026, Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act, which would pause all AI data center construction nationwide until Congress enacts federal legislation that would protect workers, consumers, civil rights, and the environment against AI. A moratorium would delay the development of American AI and place the U.S. far behind its international counterparts. Read more here.
