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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
New Reports and Testimony from TARP Watchdog
The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) just released its latest quarterly report to Congress, and Special IG Neil Barofsky will be testifying about it tomorrow morning before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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Policy Letter
POGO Letter to Secretary Sebelius Regarding Production of Vaccine for H1N1 Swine Flu
The Project On Government Oversight, an independent, nonprofit organization, recognizes that your office must deal with the host of problems created by the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Among these problems is the likelihood that adequate amounts of vaccine will not be ready in tim...
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Public Comment
Public Comment on Declassification on OSTP Blog
The executive branch frequently over-classifies and uses pseudo-classifications, such as Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), to withhold information from the public.
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Analysis
Excerpts of Gates’ Speech
Yesterday in Chicago, Secretary of Defense Gates gave an important and well-reported speech about the current state of play for his defense budget and what Congress is doing to it. The F-22 was a focus, but his remarks were broader. They might have been even broader, and perha...
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AnalysisOpen Political Graves or the Merits?
Straus Military Reform Project Director Winslow Wheeler introduces the history of arguing in favor of irrational aircraft programs from the Kennedy administration to the Reagan-era, along with current arguments by today's F-22 boosters, issues explained in a recent piece by Ge...
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Public Comment
POGO adds Public Comment regarding conflicts of interest among NIH grantees
Those considering the amendment of regulations covered by NIH‑2008‑0002 should examine the passage below. It comes from a Letter to the Editor, "Public disclosure could deter conflicts of interest," published in Nature four years ago, before Senator Grassley discover...
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Policy Letter
POGO Letter to Senate Leadership Expressing Serious Concern Over F-22 Solicitation Request
The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is writing to express our serious concerns about the integrity of the process to add seven unneeded F-22s to the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010.
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Analysis
Gates Is Right on the F-22
Next week the Senate will likely debate an amendment to strip out of the National Defense Authorization Bill 7 additional F-22 fighters—made (according to Lockheed) in 44 states. Almost universally seen as an extraordinary (but hugely expensive) fighter, the F-22 has for too l...
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Policy Letter
POGO and Taxpayers for Common Sense Call on Senate to Cut F-22 from Defense Authorization Act
The undersigned groups urge you to eliminate funding for seven unneeded F-22 Raptor fighter jets from the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010.
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Analysis
Spigot Wide Open
In a June 10 commentary in The Washington Post, Michael O'Hanlon argued that President Obama's plans for the defense budget are "insufficient to support the national security establishment over the next five years."
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Testimony
Testimony of POGO’s Scott Amey on The State of Federal Contracting Opportunities and Challenges for Strengthening Government Procurement and Acquisition Policies
Problems in today's federal contracting stem from workforce reductions but additional problems such as inadequate competition, deficient accountability, lack of transparency, and risky contracting vehicles deserve attention.
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Analysis
Audit of Blackwater Iraq Contract Finds Improper Charges, Weak Enforcement
The State Department failed to punish Blackwater (now known as Xe) for significant violations of its Iraq security contract. This and other shortcomings were detailed in a joint audit report released Monday by the State Department Inspector General and the Special Inspector Ge...