GAO Uncovers Billions of Dollars in Potential Savings in Annual Report on Government Overlap and Duplication

WASHINGTON (May 15, 2024) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued its 14th annual report identifying new opportunities to save taxpayers billions of dollars by reducing overlap, duplication, and fragmentation across the federal government. This year’s report outlines 112 new measures in 42 topic areas that Congress and federal agencies could take to save money and improve government programs and activities. The report also identifies open recommendations from past GAO work that, if implemented, have the potential for significant financial and other benefits.

“This year’s report provides Congress and federal agencies with new opportunities to save federal dollars, increase revenue, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a wide range of federal programs.” said Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO. “By addressing this year’s pointed list, as well as open recommendations to both agencies and Congress from GAO’s past work, the federal government could potentially save tens of billions of dollars.”

Notable suggestions in the latest report include the following:

• The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency should ensure its working capital fund cash balance is within its operating range, potentially saving its federal customers hundreds of millions of dollars through reduced prices.
• Congress and the Internal Revenue Service should take action to improve sole proprietor tax compliance, which could increase revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
• Agencies could save one hundred million dollars or more by using predictive models to make investment decisions on deferred maintenance and repair for federal buildings and could save ten million dollars or more over 5 years by setting building utilization benchmarks to help identify and reduce underused office space.
• Congress should consider taking action that could help the Armed Forces Retirement Home address financial shortfalls to reduce the risk of exhausting the trust fund that supports it. This could potentially generate revenue of one hundred million dollars or more over 10 years.
• The Department of Defense should reduce the risk of overlapping management activities and potentially save ten million dollars or more over 5 years in medical facility management. It could do so by continuing its efforts to reevaluate its market structure and establishing performance goals.
• Congress could close regulatory gaps and seven federal financial regulators should improve coordination to identify and mitigate risks posed by blockchain applications in finance.
• The Office of Science and Technology Policy should facilitate information sharing about identifying foreign ownership of research entities. This would better manage federal efforts designed to help safeguard federally funded research from foreign threats.
• Congress should reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority before it expires in 2027 to ensure the continuity of the public-safety broadband network and collection of potential revenues of $15 billion over 15 years.

While significant work remains, Congress and executive branch agencies have made strides in addressing many of the 2,018 matters and recommendations that GAO identified from 2011 to 2024. These efforts have resulted in approximately $667.5 billion in financial benefits, an increase of about $71 billion from last year’s report. Implementation of these recommendations has also achieved additional benefits, such as improved interagency coordination and reduced mismanagement, fraud, waste, and abuse. The status of GAO’s proposed changes can be followed on its Duplication and Cost Savings page on the GAO website.

For more information, contact Chuck Young, Managing Director of GAO Public Affairs at youngc1@gao.gov or 202-512-4800.

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The Government Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of Congress, is an independent, nonpartisan agency that exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities. GAO also works to improve the performance of the federal government and ensure its accountability to the American people. The agency examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO provides Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonideological, fair, and balanced. GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.