This Week In Waste – October 10, 2025

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.

Louisiana Senator Cassidy Leads Effort to Reform Drug Pricing Program

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee released a July 31, 2025, report finding that the 340B program has ballooned from $9 billion in 2014 to $66 billion in 2023, often without passing savings on to patients.  Leading the way for reforming the program, Chairman Cassidy has called on Congress to address the harms that 340B discounts “have on the prices that Americans pay in the commercial market.”  Read more here.

The Nation’s Permitting System is Costly and Inefficient

The U.S. permitting system is delaying infrastructure projects, stalling $1.5 trillion in investment, and costing tens of thousands of jobs.  The Trump administration, Congress, state and local governments must work on a comprehensive permitting reform to streamline approvals and unlock economic growth.  Read more here.

FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty: Criminalize Vandalism of Communications Networks

In an October 6, 2025, opinion piece in Fierce Network, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty discusses the problems that vandalism of communications equipment across the country is causing to the nation’s critical infrastructure.  She suggests that Congress establish criminal laws for acts against private communications networks.  Read more here.

Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Program is a Debt Accelerant

SMI cost $498 billion in 2024.  Unless Congress caps SMI’s open-ended spending, the program will cost $9.5 trillion debt over the next 10 years.  Read more here.

D.C. Streetcar That No One Desired Closes Shop Early

The Washington, D.C. streetcar system, which costs $10 million annually to maintain and operate, was slated to be phased out by 2027 but will now shut down in March 2026. There is no timeline for the “next generation” electric bus service that Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) says will eventually replace it.  Read more here.