Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), presented a report on areas of government that are in need of improvement and at high risk of waste, fraud, and abuse. The GAO’s report highlighted $84 billion in savings over the last two years as Congress and the executive branch implemented recommendations to save billions more. The GAO serves as the government’s watchdog, with a team of auditors and analysts focused on making the government more efficient and rooting out fraud.
While Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has touted savings and staff cuts, there are areas where their efforts differ from the GAO’s recommendations. Both DOGE and the GAO agree on modernizing air traffic control and reforming the US Postal Service, but the GAO has also identified areas like the National Flood Insurance Program and federal prisons that Musk’s team has overlooked.
The GAO’s report also highlighted missed opportunities by the federal government to collect additional revenue, such as the IRS losing billions to unpaid taxes and identity theft, and the Interior Department missing out on millions from oil and gas leases. Dodaro also expressed concern about disaster relief efforts, with the government responding to 27 disasters with over a billion dollars in damages in 2024. The GAO emphasized the need for federal agencies to deliver assistance more efficiently and reduce fiscal exposure, particularly in the wake of repeated disasters straining agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and HUD, which is facing potential staffing cuts despite the GAO’s recommendations for enhanced oversight in disaster recovery funds.
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