This Week In Waste – March 6, 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.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Smart Play Is Stay Out of the Way
CAGW’s issue brief on AI was released on March 4, 2026, the same day that seven leading technology companies signed onto President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge to power data centers at their own expense. The report covers AI’s impact on the economy, data centers, intellectual property rights, concerns over its use, and how it should be regulated. Read more here.
CAGW Co-Convenes the Driving Government Efficiency: Delivering Measurable Results Conference In Washington, D.C.
At the March 5, 2026, Driving Government Efficiency: Delivering Measurable Results conference, CAGW President Tom Schatz was joined in a fireside chat by House Oversight and Government Reform Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas). They discussed how to address government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement and the benefits of using shared services across federal agencies to enhance acquisitions and procurement. The 300-person event was designed as a call to action in support of a serious and sustainable movement to promote efficiency and modernization across the government. Read more here.
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Takes Another Wrong Turn
In his March 5, 2026, op-ed in The Hill, CAGW President Tom Schatz wrote that despite the “unsustainable business model” at the USPS, Postmaster General David Steiner admitted that “he isn’t focused on cutting costs and is instead prioritizing only revenue and customer service.” That “plan” will not turn around the abysmal finances at the USPS after a reported $1.3 billion loss in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 and a net loss of $9 billion in FY 2025. Schatz made several recommendations to reduce wasteful spending and lower costs. Read more here.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Eliminates Taxes on Overtime Pay
An OBBBA provision eliminates taxes on the “half” portion of overtime pay, fulfilling a promise made by President Trump during his campaign. It is available for tax years 2025-2028 and will save qualified taxpayers between $1,400 and $1,750 annually. Read more here.
Washington State on the Verge of Enacting a Millionaire Tax
Democrats in Washington are pushing a 9.9 percent income tax on earnings over $1 million annually. It would target approximately 30,000 high earners in the state. Opponents argue that it would violate the state constitution’s prohibition against income taxes, drive away top taxpayers, and increase government overreach. Read more here.
Broadband Speeds Rise While Real Prices Fall
On February 23, 2026, the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies released a new report assessing the price Americans pay for broadband internet service. After adjusting for speed and quality, the report found that real inflation-adjusted broadband prices declined between 7 and 9 percent from 2024 to 2025. Read more here.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Needs to Continue Developing a Complete and Useful Inventory
According to a March 5, 2026, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, OMB continues to fail to publish a complete inventory of federal programs, accounting for more than $7 trillion in federal spending. GAO found that only 13 of the 20 requirements to provide all necessary information have been met, and four of five transparency and usefulness practices previously identified by GAO were not being followed. Completion of the OMB inventory would create an effective tool to identify waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of federal funds. CAGW contributed to the findings in the report. Read more here.
Taxpayers Save $1.6 Billion with the Disposition of the Agriculture South Building
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and General Services Administration plan to dispose of the mostly vacant Agriculture South building, located in Washington, D.C., eliminating $1.6 billion in maintenance liabilities and boosting federal space use from 15 to 80 percent. CAGW has long called for the sale of excess federal real property, which could save taxpayers $3 billion in one-year and $15 billion over five years. Read more here.
Los Angeles International Airport People Mover Becomes Another Boondoggle
The Los Angeles International Airport’s Automated People Mover remains closed three years past its original opening date, and there is no estimate of when it will open. The cost of nearly $3.5 billion is more than $1 billion greater than the original estimate. It was supposed to be ready for the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11, but some observers think it might be in operation closer to the 2028 Olympics. Read more here.
