NW Kentucky News

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently held a hearing titled “The Government Accountability Office’s 2025 High Risk List.” The focus was on ensuring that federal programs, funded by Congress, fulfill their intended purposes and meet mission objectives. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that many of these programs have become vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.

Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the GAO, stated: “We are releasing our 2025 High-Risk List today. Our high-risk program focuses attention on government operations with significant vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or that need transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges.”

Chairman James Comer emphasized the importance of oversight in addressing inefficiencies in federal programs. He remarked: “At the start of each new Congress, the GAO publishes a High Risk List to update us on the programs ripe for congressional oversight and action. The average American works too hard to see tax dollars wasted.”

The GAO's work is being utilized by Congress and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to safeguard taxpayer dollars. President Trump and Republicans in Congress are focusing on eliminating waste in Washington.

Dodaro highlighted the financial impact of addressing high-risk issues: “Actions to address high-risk issues have contributed to hundreds of billions of dollars saved since the List was established.”

Chairman Comer noted ongoing concerns with improper payments within federal programs like Medicaid and Medicare. He stated: “My goal with this hearing is simple: to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent wisely and to get more of it back into Americans’ pockets.”

Rep. Paul Gosar pointed out that no items from GAO’s 2023 list had been resolved. Rep. Virginia Foxx emphasized vulnerabilities in disaster delivery assistance by FEMA.

Rep. Nancy Mace raised concerns about outdated IT systems: “As Chairwoman of the Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation subcommittee... Federal agencies spend billions of dollars a year on software without a comprehensive or detailed understanding of what they are purchasing.”

Rep. Andy Biggs highlighted issues within Medicare related to improper payments.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stressed fiscal responsibility given the national debt: “We are in $36 trillion dollars of debt.”

Rep. Scott Perry discussed potential savings through better management of federal office space.

In closing remarks, Rep. Brandon Gill called for bipartisan support for efforts against wasteful spending.

Rep. Pat Fallon concluded with a call for increased oversight: “I want to thank the GAO for its work... This should be a bipartisan effort."