Crapo: GAO Report Shows Immense Duplication in Federal Programs

Washington, D.C. - A new report from the federal government's General Accounting Office (GAO) is fueling the fires for renewed efforts to reduce spending on Capitol Hill, says Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. The GAO report, requested by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), who is working with Crapo in a bipartisan group of six Senators seeking to implement new deficit reduction plans, clearly shows duplication among the efforts of a number of federal programs. Coburn estimates there may be more than $100 billion in duplicative spending shown in the report. Crapo says it means spending could be cut by billions without reducing services to Americans.

"The numbers in the GAO report say it all," Crapo said. "In one area-financial literacy, 20 different agencies offer 56 various programs. There are 80 programs alone for economic development, and we have 82 distinct programs on teacher quality spread over ten agencies. This nonpartisan report from a nonpartisan agency is receiving bipartisan support. It provides a direct roadmap to begin looking for ways to stop duplication and reduce our out-of-control federal spending.

"This level of duplication, from transportation to defense programs, shows the federal government is spending trillions of dollars without coordinating on the spending," Crapo added. "This report makes the case how we can cut spending and not reduce services."

As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, Crapo is currently involved in hearings on the President's Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal. He favors across-the-board budget cuts to reduce spending, but notes the GAO report provides additional ways to reduce spending.

"We need to consolidate and streamline these programs," Crapo said. "In many cases, administrative consolidations could be made and duplicative programs scaled back, and no agency should be immune."
A summary and details of the report are available here on Crapo's website.