This Week In Waste – October 23, 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.
Citizens Against Government Waste Names Sen. “Chucky” Schumer October 2026 Porker of the Month
On October 20, 2026, CAGW named Sen. “Chucky” Schumer (D-N.Y.) its October 2026 Porker of the Month for insisting that socialist policies are welcome and should not frighten Americans.
On July 29, 2026, “Chucky” Schumer was asked if the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) platform belongs in the Democratic Party, and he alarmingly avoided the question. He also horrifyingly refused to answer whether he agreed with the DSA’s manifesto, which disturbingly demands that the U.S. abolish the Presidency, replace the Supreme Court, get rid of the Constitution, give free homes to everyone, and have the government own everything. Read more here.
Sen. Warren Is Still Wrong on Private Equity
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and her anti-capitalist colleagues on Capitol Hill are renewing their fight against private equity investments and showing dangerous disdain for the small businesses and middle-class families by introducing S. 5512 and H.R. 10595, the Stop Wall Street Looting Act. If this legislation is enacted into law, it would undermine a vital industry that makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy. Read more here.
GAO Report Finds FDA Lagging Behind Approving THR Products
E-cigarettes and other THR products are an effective, less harmful alternative for tobacco users looking to quit smoking. A September 30, 2026, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommended improving how FDA reviews and approves applications. By speeding up this process and allowing more products to reach the market, smokers will be given more options to choose from and more likely to quit smoking. Read more here.
Federal Real Property: New Occupancy Data Help Agencies Shed Unneeded Office Space but Gaps Limit the Full Picture
An October 15, 2026, GAO report found that 23 agencies spent a total of $16 million in 2025 collecting and reporting information on government office space use. Although this data is helpful to identify underused federal property, incomplete reporting and the exclusion of some spaces from data collection process obscure the scope of federal property underutilization. Read more here.
D.C. tax hikes spark debate over the city’s economic future
During an October 16, 2026, District of Columbia City Council hearing, the councilmembers, faced with growing budget pressures, discussed the possibility of imposing new taxes on capital gains, businesses, property, and second homes, many of which echo the taxes imposed or proposed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). These measures will likely drive employers and families out of the district, discourage investment, upend the housing market, and worsen the economy. Former Mayor Anthony Williams (D) suggested that instead of new taxes, the council should cut “out of control” government spending. Read more here.
