This Week In Waste – May 22, 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.
White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud at Work
The White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, under the leadership of Vice President J.D. Vance, is taking action to root out potential fraudulent payments across the government, including at the Departments of Agriculture and Education, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the General Services Administration, and the Small Business Administration. Read more here.
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Reports More Losses Despite More Revenue
The USPS reported a fiscal year 2026 second quarter loss of $2 billion, despite more revenue, extending a losing streak that began in 2007. While Postmaster General David Steiner wants a multi-billion handout from Congress to offset the losses without making necessary changes to the USPS’s failed business model, CAGW has recommended that the USPS should halt the inefficient and costly Delivering for America plan, place a moratorium on spending billions of dollars on duplicative new processing centers, adopt a hiring freeze for non-delivery positions, terminate the Regional Transportation Initiative, and increase the use of public-private partnerships. Read more here.
Broadband Continues to Be a Bargain
The US Telecom Broadband Pricing Index (BPI), released on May 19, 2026, shows that for the 11th straight year, broadband prices have decreased and speeds have increased. It was therefore not surprising that the nationwide poll included in the BPI report found that only 2 percent of respondents rank internet service as a top worry, the lowest of any category contained in the survey. Read more here.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Allows for Greater Access to Flavor Vapes
Tobacco Harm Reduction products, which CAGW has been promoting since 2016, are less harmful alternatives that help smokers ditch their smoking habits. The FDA’s new approach will crack down on illicit vaping products while promoting public health by allowing more safe products to reach the marketplace. Read more here.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Rules Against FCC’s Harmful Digital Discrimination Rule
On May 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in a unanimous decision vacated the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) final rule that would have negatively impacted not only the telecommunications industry, but also industries not typically regulated by the FCC, including landlords, construction crews, marketing agencies, banks, and even the government itself. The court found that the FCC exceeded its statutory authority when it “extended the final rule to cover entities other than broadband providers,” along with other problems with the rulemaking. Read more here.
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Join Forces to Eliminate Mobile Coverage Dead Zones
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced a joint venture to expand satellite-based wireless coverage in rural and underserved areas. This partnership shows how the private sector can work collaboratively and efficiently to close connectivity gaps and further bridge the digital divide. Read more here.
