U S Senate Budget Committee : CBO: Government Will Spend Over $310 Billion on Expired Programs

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today released a report showing that the federal government will spend more than $310 billion a year on 256 expired laws, most of which have been expired for more than a decade. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) said it was time for Congress to take a closer look at these funds.

'This new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows that the federal government will spend more than $310 billion on programs that have expired,' said Chairman Enzi. 'Congress should reexamine what it is actually funding in order to improve or eliminate government programs not delivering results. By taking a closer look at these programs and others, Congress would have more funding flexibility to boost important programs and priorities.

The CBO report noted that most non-defense discretionary funding was spent on expired programs, and that over the past 15 years the number of unauthorized 'programs' has grown more than 458 percent. CBO has published this report annually pursuant to a requirement enacted in 1985.

The full CBO report can be read here.

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