House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer issued a statement regarding the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) annual Duplication and Fragmentation report. The report highlights ongoing inefficiencies within federal programs and suggests ways to improve their effectiveness.
Comer acknowledged GAO's role in congressional oversight, stating: "GAO’s excellent work has been a cornerstone of congressional oversight and decision-making for over 30 years." He emphasized the importance of addressing inefficiencies, noting that despite saving taxpayers over $700 billion, further efforts are needed. "This report can further serve as a blueprint for congressional action needed to protect taxpayers and make our federal government programs operate more efficiently and effectively," he said.
The GAO annually reviews federal programs to identify duplicative goals or activities and opportunities for greater efficiency. As of March 2025, its recommendations have helped save $725 billion. Full implementation of remaining suggestions could yield additional financial benefits exceeding $100 billion.
Key recommendations from the GAO include:
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) along with 24 federal agencies should conduct annual IT portfolio reviews to reduce duplicative investments, potentially saving hundreds of millions.
- The Department of Defense should use data analytics in fraud risk management to enhance information usability, aiming for savings over one hundred million dollars.
- OMB and the General Services Administration should ensure quality audit information is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse to mitigate risks in federal spending.
- The Department of Interior is advised to address issues in data system development to improve royalty collections by tens of millions annually.
The full GAO report provides detailed insights into these findings.
