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Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
3/19/2025, 3:23 PM
Summary of Bill HR 1722
The bill seeks to address concerns about government inefficiency and wasteful spending by shining a light on projects that are not meeting their deadlines or staying within budget. By requiring this annual report, lawmakers hope to identify areas where improvements can be made to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.
Supporters of the bill argue that increased transparency will help hold government agencies and contractors accountable for their performance on taxpayer-funded projects. By making this information readily available to Congress and the public, it will be easier to identify and address issues that may be contributing to delays and cost overruns. Opponents of the bill may argue that the reporting requirements could be burdensome for government agencies and contractors, potentially adding additional costs and administrative burdens to projects. However, proponents believe that the benefits of increased transparency and accountability outweigh any potential drawbacks. Overall, Bill 119 HR 1722 aims to promote greater transparency and accountability in taxpayer-funded projects by requiring an annual report on projects that are over budget and behind schedule. By providing this information to Congress and the public, lawmakers hope to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending.
Congressional Summary of HR 1722
Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate.
Specifically, the bill requires OMB to issue guidance directing federal agencies to annually submit specified information to OMB regarding certain federally funded projects that (1) are more than five years behind schedule, or (2) have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project.
Among other information, the agencies must submit to OMB
- a description of each project;
- an explanation of any change to the original scope of the project;
- the original and current expected dates for the completion of the project;
- the original and current cost estimates adjusted for inflation;
- an explanation for any delays in completing the project or increases in the cost; and
- the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive fee, or other type of bonus awarded for the project.
The bill also requires OMB to submit an annual report to Congress containing the information submitted by the agencies and post the report on the OMB website.
