Miller-Meeks, Ernst Expose Billion-Dollar Boondoggles
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) are taking action to rein in Washington’s wasteful spending with the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act. This legislation will require public disclosure of any government project that is more than $1 billion over budget or five years behind schedule.
“Republicans were elected on a platform to tackle waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Miller-Meeks. “As Members of Congress, we are entrusted to be stewards of taxpayer dollars and government projects that are excessively costly and delayed must be held to account. Our bill will increase transparency - along with ongoing efforts by President Trump- to ensure we aren’t wasting billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
“From moondoggles to off-the-rails projects, Washington can’t seem to ever make the trains run on time or on budget,” said Ernst. “Bureaucrats always find a way to pay a whole lot more for planes, trains, and automobiles—and just about everything else. I am slamming the brakes on boondoggles and bringing them to a squealing halt.”
Some of the biggest government boondoggles include:
- Building Air Force One replacements, which are currently billions-of-dollars over budget and years behind schedule.
- A California Crazy train that is costing about $1.8 million a day, yet no tracks have even been laid. The project’s price tag has tripled from $33 billion in 2008, to as much as $128 billion today.
- $10 billion to purchase tens of thousands of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by 2028. While the initial order for 50,000 trucks was placed three years ago, fewer than 100 trucks have been delivered.
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) return trip to the moon that is $6 billion over budget and years behind schedule as a result of mismanagement by NASA and “poor performance” by contractors.
- A Federal Reserve renovation that must have contractors laughing all the way to the bank. The cost of the project has increased 34% from $1.9 billion in 2019 to nearly $2.5 billion today.
Click here to view the bill text.
Background:
Congresswoman Miller-Meeks has been a leader in the fight against government waste, fraud, and abuse. As a member of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, she is working closely with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to hold Washington accountable and implement common-sense reforms that save taxpayer money.
The national debt has surpassed $36 trillion, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported $2.7 trillion in improper payments by federal agencies since 2003. While hardworking Iowans live paycheck to paycheck and make every dollar count, unelected Washington bureaucrats continue to waste taxpayer funds on mismanaged projects, delays, and cost overruns.
The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act builds on these efforts by exposing the worst examples of government mismanagement—ensuring that Congress and taxpayers know exactly where their money is going. This bill aligns with broader GOP efforts, including those led by the DOGE Caucus, to streamline government operations and demand fiscal responsibility.
###