This Week In Waste – May 15, 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 Releases the 2026 Congressional Pig Book
CAGW released the 2026 Congressional Pig Book at a press conference on May 14, 2026. The 33rd edition of the Pig Book revealed 8,392 earmarks, 1.2 percent more than the 8,222 in FY 2024, costing taxpayers $23.7 billion, 4.4 percent more than in FY 2024 and the fourth-highest total since the first Pig Book was issued in 1991. The press conference was attended by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who highlighted the wasteful nature of pork barrel spending and expressed support for CAGW’s efforts in rooting out government waste, fraud, and abuse. Read more here.
340B Abuse Spotlighted at House Ways and Means Committee Hearing
The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on April 28, 2026, examining the role of health systems in healthcare affordability. Members of the committee pointed out abuse of the 340B drug discount program as a cause of rising healthcare costs. Read more here.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Secures Win for America’s Leadership in Next Generation Communications
The FCC unlocked the sale of 115 megahertz of underused mid-band spectrum currently held by EchoStar for AT&T and SpaceX. This $40 billion deal will help expand 5G service, accelerate direct-to-device satellite connectivity, and improve broadband access in rural areas. Read more here.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Releases 2026 Annual Duplication Report
On May 12, 2026, GAO released its annual report on overlapping and duplicative federal programs. GAO identified 610 unresolved and 97 new duplicative and wasteful issues. According to GAO, resolving these open issues will save taxpayers at least $100 billion. Read more here.
HEAL Network Report Confirms Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Is a Failure
A HEAL Network analysis of GAO reports on CMMI concluded that it may be “structurally incapable” of being reformed, but whatever occurs, it cannot continue is its current form. The preferable outcome for patients and taxpayers would be to eliminate CMMI. Read more here.
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) Releases Fraud Watch Report
Highlights from the VA OIG’s April 2026 Fraud Watch report include a $33 million healthcare fraud scheme, fraudulent disability claims costing taxpayers up to $1.3 million, and a scuba school owner who falsified records to steal more than $900,000 from VA education programs. This report reiterates the need for stronger oversight and accountability measures across federal programs. Read more here.
Journalists Make Case for Repealing Community Development Block Grants
A May 4, 2026, City Journal article describes how the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has become a sprawling, poorly targeted subsidy system that sends billions of taxpayer dollars to affluent communities and politically connected pork-barrel projects rather than genuinely distressed neighborhoods. CAGW has long called for the elimination of the CDBG program in its Prime Cuts report. Read more here.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-Calif.) Government Diaper Program Allegedly Charges Triple Retail Cost
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton (R) claimed that Gov. Newsom’s proposed diaper assistance initiative would cost taxpayers $20 million to send 400 diapers each to 100,000 babies, which equals $0.50 per diaper, while the retail price at a Target store is $0.16 per diaper. While Newsom’s office disputed those figures, this controversy highlights the importance of scrutiny over government contracting and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not wasted. Read more here.
