Citizens Against Government Waste Releases $5.6 Trillion in Prime Waste-Cutting Recommendations

Citizens Against Government Waste Releases $5.6 Trillion in Prime Waste-Cutting Recommendations

Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released Prime Cuts 2026, the latest edition of the group’s comprehensive recommendations to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the federal government.

Here are the facts:

• Prime Cuts has been published annually since 1993 and addresses every area of government spending.
• Total savings from Prime Cuts 2026 are $639 billion in the first year and $5.6 trillion over five years.
• There are 494 recommendations from bipartisan and nonpartisan sources, including the Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office, including some that were set forth by both Democratic and Republican administrations and members of Congress.
• Since CAGW’s inception in 1984, implementation of the group’s recommendations has helped save taxpayers more than $2.6 trillion.

Prime Cuts 2026 includes the following recommendations:

• Reduce Medicare improper payments by 50 percent, which would save $28.5 billion over five years.
• Eliminate Community Development Block Grants, which would save $16.5 billion over five years.
• Sell excess federal property and reform leasing practices, saving $15 billion over five years.
• Reform the 340B drug pricing program, saving $8 billion over five years.
• Eliminate The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, saving $4.1 billion over five years.
• Eliminate the Market Access Program, a corporate welfare program that funnels taxpayer dollars to large, profitable corporations and trade associations, saving $907 million over five years.

CAGW President Tom Schatz said in a statement:

“The fiscal status of the United States is grim. The country is in the middle of a massive and collective failure to take the steps necessary to get spending, the deficit, and the debt under control. Inflation is still causing American families and businesses to struggle, and Congress continues to throw away taxpayers’ money. The national debt has surpassed a catastrophic $40 trillion and will grow at a record pace over the next decade. The only way to rein in excessive and inefficient government spending and reduce the deficit and debt is for elected officials to reduce waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. Prime Cuts 2026 is not only required reading for taxpayers, the media, and legislators, but also a roadmap for the bold action needed to restore fiscal sanity and help prevent a financial disaster.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

Alexandra Abrams (202) 467-5310
aabrams@cagw.org

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