This Week In Waste – October 2, 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.
GLOBE Model and CMMI Should Be Gone
On September 30, 2026, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced it had finalized the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model. This mandatory model imposes Most Favored Nation price controls on drugs covered by Medicare Part B, doubling down on government overreach and further entrenching the control of federal bureaucrats in healthcare. Rather than impose price controls through CMMI, lawmakers should lower costs for patients by enacting H.R. 8293, the Abolish the CMMI Act, and end foreign freeriding on U.S. pharmaceutical research and development. Read more here.
FCC Eases NEPA Permitting Requirements
On September 30, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) on Modernizing the Commission’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Rules. The FNPRM cuts through outdated and unnecessary burdens that have slowed telecommunications deployment by aligning the agency’s NEPA rules with current law and recent judicial precedents, establishing bright-line rules that independently operate from each other, and clarifying when certain actions fall outside NEPA applicability. Read more here.
The Real Costs of Fraud: Examining Program Integrity Requirements and Exposing Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid
On September 29, 2026, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce released a report including 13 findings and 37 recommendations to address fraud and weak oversight in Medicare and Medicaid, including gaps in state oversight of high-risk providers. The committee staff report recommends shifting from the traditional “pay and chase” model toward preventing fraud before taxpayer funds are disbursed. Read more here.
Federal Judge Blocks New York’s Algorithmic Rent-Setting Ban, Sides With RealPage
On September 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni blocked enforcement of Section 340-b of the New York General Business Law, which prohibited the use of computational or algorithmic devices, programs or software to assist with real estate property pricing. In her ruling, Judge Caproni stated that using new software for normal commercial practices does not in itself constitute an antitrust violation. The decision to block the law comes amidst the shortage of affordable housing. Read more here.
Naval Shipyards: Complete Information Needed for Decision-Making on Multibillion-Dollar, 50-Year Infrastructure Program
According to a September 23, 2026, Government Accountability Office report, the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program is facing at least 50 years of delays and more than $200 billion in costs, while Congress lacks a comprehensive picture of spending, funding needs, and project risks. Read more here.
GSA, HHS Uncover $1.2 Billion in Suspected Covid-Related Contract Fraud at Direction of White House Task Force
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced on September 24, 2026, that the GSA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have uncovered $1.22 billion in suspected fraud across five HHS contracts from the Covid era. The agencies have also stopped an additional $41 million in payments after the White House Anti-Fraud Task Force’s review. Read more here.
Pentagon launches team to find waste, shift spending
The Department of Defense’s new Force Agility and Streamlining Team (FAST), which will include up to 40 members, will review contracts, acquisition processes, and military programs to identify waste and redirect resources toward higher priorities. Modeled in part on the Army’s “Night Court” initiative, FAST aims to improve efficiency and support the department’s upcoming audit. Read more here.
