Waste of the Day: Duplicative Federal Commissions Waste $287 Million Annually

By Adam Andrzejewski, RealClearInvestigations
December 22, 2023

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If the federal government eliminated several duplicative regional commissions and authorities, it would save taxpayers $287 million annually, the Citizens Against Government Waste found.

In its annual report “Prime Cuts” 2023, is a list of recommendations to reduce the record national debt. The organization suggests eliminating regional development agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, and the Northern Border Regional Commission.

Waste of the Day 12.22.23

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These independent agencies provide region-specific grants for infrastructure projects, economic development, and local capacity building.

CAGW pointed out that each of then-President Donald Trump’s budgets proposed the elimination of the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, stating that they are duplicative of other federal programs.

The FY 2021 budget noted that money for the three commissions “is set aside for special geographical designations rather than applied across the country based on objective criteria indicating local areas’ levels of distress.”

Congress created the Denali Commission in 1998 to build infrastructure in rural Alaska and multiple administrations have targeted it for elimination by. Then-President Barak Obama recommended eliminating funding in his FY 2012 budget, arguing that at least 29 other federal programs could fulfill the commission’s mandate.

Likewise, The Delta Regional Authority has also been frequently criticized. Trump suggested it be eliminated, while Obama called for a $3 million annual cut.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has received 14 earmarks for $414 million since FY 1995 for projects in Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The Denali Commission has gotten 31 earmarks costing $343 million since FY 2000, and the Delta Regional Authority has gotten 18 earmarks costing $178 million since FY 2003.

Why continue funding entities that don’t need to exist, when presidents from both major parties agree they’re unnecessary?

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

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