Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
Summary
The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 mandates an annual report on taxpayer-funded projects that are significantly over budget (by at least $1 billion) or behind schedule (by more than 5 years). This report, compiled by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will be submitted to Congress and made public on the OMB website. The goal is to increase transparency and accountability regarding large government projects.
Expected Effects
This act will likely lead to increased scrutiny of large government projects. It may also incentivize agencies to improve project management and cost estimation. The public will have access to information about project delays and cost overruns.
Potential Benefits
- Increased transparency in government spending.
- Potential for improved project management and oversight.
- Greater accountability for government agencies and contractors.
- Public access to information on project performance.
- May deter future wasteful spending on large projects.
Most Benefited Areas:
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for increased administrative burden on agencies.
- Risk of focusing solely on easily quantifiable metrics, potentially overlooking other important project outcomes.
- The $1 billion threshold might exclude smaller, yet still significant, overruns from scrutiny.
- Possible delays in project completion due to increased reporting requirements.
- The act itself does not prevent overspending, it only reports on it.
Constitutional Alignment
The act aligns with the principle of government transparency and accountability, which is implicitly supported by the Constitution. Article I, Section 9, Clause 7, which requires a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money, supports the intent of this act. The act does not infringe upon any specific constitutional rights or limitations.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).