FEDERALhearing transcript

Review of the GAO Annual Duplication Report

Original title: REVIEW OF GAO'S ANNUAL DUPLICATION REPORT

January 1, 2019

government spending GAO federal oversight government efficiency foreign assistance scientific research funding

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

The GAO report identifies specific areas where federal agencies overlap, which can lead to inefficient use of taxpayer funds and provides a roadmap for potential budget savings through better coordination.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Federal Agencies

Agencies identified in the report may face increased pressure to coordinate programs or consolidate services to reduce duplication.

Taxpayers

Taxpayers are affected by the efficiency of federal spending and the potential for cost savings identified in the report.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight held a hearing to review the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) ninth annual report on federal government , , and overlap. The hearing focused on identifying areas where multiple agencies perform similar tasks, leading to potential waste and inefficiency in programs ranging from foreign aid to scientific research.

Key Facts

The GAO identified 20 different federal agencies pursuing 52 separate foreign assistance strategies.
Six federal agencies are currently funding quantum computing research with little inter-agency coordination.
Ten federal agencies are funding synthetic biology research with little inter-agency coordination.
The Department of Defense operates six distinct human resources services.
The Department of Defense utilizes over 800 separate computer-based learning and training systems.
This hearing marks the ninth annual review of the GAO's duplication report.
The hearing took place on May 21, 2019, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the GAO Duplication Report?

It is an annual report produced by the Government Accountability Office that identifies areas where federal programs overlap, are fragmented, or are duplicative, often highlighting opportunities for cost savings.

Why does the government have so many agencies doing the same thing?

The hearing suggests that a lack of coordination between agencies and the creation of multiple strategies for similar goals leads to and .

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Persistent Duplication

The hearing highlights that despite annual reporting, the same areas of duplication (foreign aid, research) persist across multiple years.

Government Accountability Office

Connected Entities

personGene L. Dodaro“Comptroller General of the United States and primary witness from the GAO.”Map →

organizationDepartment of Defense“Cited as having six different human resources services and over 800 training sys”Map →

personRand Paul“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Managem”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“The federal agency responsible for auditing and investigating government spendin”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools