There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the initiative to improve government efficiency, reduce waste, and curb spending. And while the spotlight is focused on the proposed Department of Government Efficiency, we’re going to turn our attention to an office that’s been performing this work for over a century.
General Accounting Office
Over 100 years ago, after the end of World War I, Congress realized the need to manage government costs and debt. This led to the 1921 passage of The Budget and Accounting Act which created the non-partisan GAO, which reports to Congress. While the GAO’s initial purpose was to verify government expenditures, its role expanded after World War II.
Expanded Role
In the mid-1970s, as GAO became more involved in budgeting, they bolstered their ranks with scientists, actuaries, and experts in relevant fields. By the next decade, a team of professional investigators was brought in to examine allegations of professional and criminal misconduct.
New Name New Responsibilities
The start of the 20th century brought a new name, the Government Accountability Office. At the same time, this “government watchdog” moved beyond audits and began to study how government programs were performing and how they could improve efficiency. From affordable housing and food safety to the COVID-19 response, the GAO has delved into a wide range of topics.
Return On Investment
For the fiscal year 2024 alone, GOA identified roughly $67.5 billion in financial benefits. Over the last six years, for every dollar invested in the GOA, they found $123 in potential government savings. In addition, they identified 1,232 opportunities for operations improvements.
Recommendation Doesn’t Always Mean Action
While GOA continues to oversee spending, eliminate redundancy, and explore ways to reduce waste, their recommendations don’t always result in action from the agencies involved. Between 2011 and 2024 GOA provided Congress 2,018 recommendations that would result in savings of $596.3 billion. As of March, 1,341 (66%) have been fully addressed and 139 (7%) have been partially addressed. GOA’s 2024 report has brought to light an additional 112 matters that could result in another $71.3 billion savings of taxpayers’ funds.
For more information on the Government Accountability Office or to view their full 2024 report, visit their website. https://www.gao.gov/
