GAO List of Duplicative Programs to Piggyback on Trump Efficiency Effort

Government Executive reports:

Congress’ watchdog released its seventh annual inventory of duplicative or fragmented programs on Wednesday with a nod toward the reorganization and efficiency effort announced two weeks ago by the Trump White House.

The Government Accountability Office report updating the status of hundreds of past GAO recommendations for cost savings “will be useful as agencies go through the process of streamlining and reorganizing,” Comptroller General Gene Dodaro told a Senate panel. The GAO chief said he had informed White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney that he was sending a letter to all agency heads recommending that they assign “priority attention” to the 29 newly highlighted areas discussed in the 154-page report on “where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping or duplicative.”

The additions included improper payments, refundable tax credits, government purchase cards, hiring, Veterans Affairs medical facility construction, and Defense Department advertising and incentive pay.

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