Weekly Spotlight: Where the Real Waste is

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With a proposed budget of $850 billion, the Pentagon is one of the most expensive agencies in the federal government. Defense spending as a whole accounts for nearly half of the government’s total discretionary spending. As you know all too well, the DOD’s habit of going over budget on overly complicated weapons systems is one of the biggest drains on your taxpayer dollars.

The sheer magnitude of the Pentagon’s budget, taken with the fact that the agency hasn’t passed a financial audit for seven years in a row, is enough to warrant a critical eye. Any attempt to root out waste should absolutely start at the Pentagon.

But in President Donald Trump’s address to Congress this week, the Pentagon was not mentioned once in the lengthy list of alleged waste uncovered by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE has yet to make any cuts to major defense contracts, though they are among the government’s biggest contracts.

In his address, the president also touted plans for a “Golden Dome,” a missile shield system that would require gargantuan efforts and costs. (Defense giants are already drafting business pitches.) If the plan moves forward, it will almost certainly bring even more unchecked waste and conflicts of interest to the Pentagon — and will almost as certainly be another boondoggle — all at your expense.

With a Golden Dome on the horizon, it’s all the more important that the Pentagon budget gets scrutinized. In testimony last month, we spelled out exactly how Congress could tackle wasteful spending at the Pentagon: Start with reforms to end industry price-gouging and to curb undue industry influence in our national security. The government’s spending decisions should put your best interests and your wallet first, not industry profits.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“When we see these very clear and blatant moves, like with these recent firings, that really paints a picture that these decisions are being made for partisan political reasons, and not because of the need for increased accountability in the federal government.”

Joe Spielberger, Senior Policy Counsel, in The War Horse

ONE LINERS

“There’s a real willingness from the administration to kind of fire first, deal with lawsuits later.”

Faith Williams, Director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program, in The Hill

“[DOGE’s federal budget cuts] have gone to really the equivalent of the mom-and-pop shops. They are so on the margin of savings when it comes to the federal budget but have extraordinary impacts on the companies because they are small companies.”

Danielle Brian, Executive Director, in New York Times