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Latest Policy Publications
POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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Analysis
Fannie, Freddie, and Mortgage Regulator Balked at Oversight, Watchdog Says
A federal inspector general says even as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were receiving billions of dollars from the government to continue playing a central role in the nation's crippled housing market, the mortgage companies and their regulator were balking at more oversight.
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Analysis
VA: F-35 jet fighter costs are soaring out of sight, reports say
Billed as “the world’s largest defense program,” the trillion-dollar tab for the new F-35 joint strike jet fighter is getting bigger by the day.
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Analysis
Interesting Bloomberg/Capaccio Article & Intriguing CBO Report
An important and informative Tony Capaccio article (from Bloomberg; shown below) came out today. It summarizes (accurately) CBO's analysis of the budget effects of sequester: if sequester were to occur, the Pentagon's "base" (non-war) budget would be $469 billion fo...
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AnalysisNuclear Weapons Lab Underestimates Risk of Radiation Leak, Study Finds
One of the nation’s main nuclear weapons labs has sharply underestimated the amount of radiation that could leak from the facility as a result of an earthquake, according to a federal advisory panel.
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Analysis
Look Who’s Singing the Sequestration Blues
For a moment just imagine that American public schools received 80% of their operating budgets from the federal government, and in an attempt to control that budget and lower the national debt, Congress voted to cut the next year’s appropriations by at least 7%.
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Analysis
How the F-35 Nearly Doubled In Price (And Why You Didn’t Know)
On June 14 - Flag Day, of all days - the Government Accountability Office released a new oversight report on the F-35: Joint Strike Fighter: DOD Actions Needed to Further Enhance Restructuring and Address Affordability Risks. As usual, it contained some important information o...
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AnalysisGAO’s June 14 F-35 Report: Understates Its Own Findings; Uses Misdirecting DOD Criteria
Not all GAO reports are equal. Some tell the whole story; some entirely miss key elements; many are a mixed bag. When I worked at GAO, we used to joke in the cafeteria that the best GAO reports are never released, but some do escape.
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Analysis
5 Things the Public Wouldn’t Know Without FOIA
It has been 46 years since President Lyndon Johnson quietly signed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) into law on the Fourth of July, officially giving the public access to federal government records. With thousands upon thousands of requests now processed per year, it’s ea...
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Analysis
F-22 Fighter Jet Mishap Challenges Air Force Explanation of Flight Problems
Pilots flying America's most expensive fighter jet are suffering from mysterious health problems, and the Pentagon can’t explain why. The Air Force suggested last month that pressure vests worn by the pilots might be interfering with their ability to fly the plane, so it made...
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Analysis
Finally Some Justice for a Defense Contractor Whistleblower
The Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General (IG) recently validated a contractor whistleblower reprisal for the first time in six years. The IG was able to side with the whistleblower in this special case because the complaint was related to a defense contract involving ...
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Analysis
Navy Avoids Giving Members of Congress Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Docs
The Navy continues to play games when it comes to releasing critical information about the water contamination at Camp Lejeune—this time, by dodging the document request made by nine Members of Congress, the Project On Government Oversight learned today. But the fight for more...
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Analysis
POGO Applauds Bureau’s New Credit Card Complaint Database-Boon for Consumers
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a brand new credit card complaint database, providing the public with important, new information on which banks have generated criticism from consumers. Making these complaints available online will aid the Am...