Fighting for Oversight in Federal Spending
The Problem
Every year, the federal government spends tax dollars on services for the American people. As funds make their way from Washington to our communities, they change hands again and again. The federal government distributes money to agencies or states, which distribute it to programs, which hire contractors, which hire subcontractors, and so on. The further the money gets from Capitol Hill, the less information we have about it. And as the amount of publicly available data drops, the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse skyrockets. POGO is working with champions in Congress to fix USAspending, the main tool for tracking federal spending. Because you deserve to know where your tax dollars are going, every step of the way.
Did you know?
-
USAspending.gov, the government’s official open data source for spending, is managed by several agencies without a clear central authority responsible for ensuring that the data is complete and correct. As we’ve written before, when it comes to federal spending tracking, the buck stops nowhere.
-
A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office found that 37 of 57 inspectors general reported that “their agencies had accuracy errors in monetary data elements.” Twenty-five IGs reported deficiencies “related to quality control procedures” at their agencies.
-
That $100 billion figure is from former Department of Justice Inspector General and Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Chair Michael Horowitz. The government rushed out over $800 billion in loans without adequate guardrails or oversight and forgave over 95% of those loans.
What's at Stake?
Less Data Means More Potential Fraud and Abuse.
Fixing federal spending transparency means more scrutiny — and more opportunities for watchdogs to raise the alarm on wrongdoing.
Transparency Can Increase Trust in Government.
Eight out of 10 Americans believe at least some federal spending is lost to waste, fraud, and abuse. On average, they estimate that the government wastes 60 cents of every tax dollar collected. Open, accurate tracking can help people trust that tax dollars aren’t being squirreled away or lost to corruption, and it can show where federal funding is spent in the public interest.
Open Data Can Shape Better Spending.
Federal spending data shows us the projects, communities, and businesses in which our government is investing. When you have access to that data, you can decide for yourself whether you believe the government is spending wisely and let your representatives know what you think.
