Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency Chairman Tim Burchett announced on Mar. 25 that he opened a roundtable titled “Doing More With Less: Deleting Duplicative Programs.” In his opening statement, Burchett said the federal government spends about $7 trillion annually across more than 2,400 assistance programs, which is more than double the number of such programs in the 1970s.
The issue of duplicative federal programs matters because it affects all Americans and contributes to growing deficits and national debt. Burchett said addressing duplication and overlap among government activities could help rein in what he described as spiraling deficits and a $39 trillion national debt.
Burchett told attendees, "I intend to do all I can with this subcommittee to rein in the spiraling deficits and $39 trillion in debt that threatens the fabric of our great Nation." He also said that both parties share an interest in improving fiscal responsibility: "This issue impacts all Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike. I met recently with the Ranking Member, Ms. Stansbury. She and I agreed there are topics of bipartisan interest affecting this Nation’s fiscal future that this Subcommittee can take up."
During his remarks, Burchett highlighted findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which has reported annually since 2010 on duplication across federal agencies at Congress's direction. He noted GAO estimates show up to half a trillion dollars may be lost each year due to fraud within complex networks of outdated welfare programs.
Burchett explained that navigating these systems is difficult for ordinary Americans: "How is the average American supposed to navigate this system when they have other responsibilities to their families?" He added that GAO has recommended actions Congress and the Executive Branch could take to streamline government operations and save hundreds of billions of dollars.
Guests at the roundtable included Orice Williams Brown, Acting Comptroller General at GAO; Paul Winfree, President and CEO of Economic Policy Innovation Center; Matt Weidinger from American Enterprise Institute; and Bobby Kogan from Center for American Progress.
