GAO: Eliminating Overlap in Federal Programs Would Save Billions of Dollars

Twenty federal offices devoted to the problem of homelessness? Forty-four for job training programs? Fifty-six programs dealing with financial literacy? And more than 100 addressing surface transportation issues?

Yes, all true.

The Government Accountability Office said this week the federal government, in its quest to reduce the deficit, could save tens of billions of dollars by simply merging hundreds of overlapping and duplicative agencies and programs. Some of them could just be eliminated, the GAO said in its new report, "Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue."

"These areas span a range of government missions: agriculture, defense, economic development, energy, general government, health, homeland security, international affairs and social services," the GAO said in the 345-page report. "Reducing or eliminating duplication, overlap, or fragmentation could potentially save billions of tax dollars annually and help agencies provide more efficient and effective services."

In one example, the watchdog group said a broad restructuring of the military's health care system could save up to $460 million annually. On the energy front, losses to the Treasury of as much as $5.7 billion could be eliminated by dealing with duplicative policies in federal programs promoting ethanol production.

Sounds simple enough, but the reality is that virtually every program mentioned in the report has its own constituency and employees who value their jobs as well as the service or product they provide.

Even so, Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, called the report a "battle plan for the on-going war against wasteful federal spending. The weak economy and an unsupportable debt demand that we find cost savings wherever we can."

The study was ordered by Congress last year in a bill extending the nation's debt limit. The GAO is a non-partisan investigative arm of Congress.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer