The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report, at the request of Chairman Jodey Arrington, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Chairman James Comer, and Representative Victoria Spartz, detailing federal spending on programs that lack current authorization. The analysis focused on 17 cabinet-level agencies and their authorization status, aligning with findings from a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published in July.
Both reports indicate that Congress continues to fund more than 1,300 programs even though their authorizations have expired. This practice bypasses the review and oversight processes typically associated with reauthorization.
When Congress establishes a department or program by law, it usually sets an expiration date for its funding to allow periodic reviews. These reviews are intended to determine if the program is fulfilling its mission, ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds, and adjust for technological or economic changes.
The GAO report specifically examines unauthorized appropriations in the 2023 omnibus funding bill. It found that new accounts without prior authorization were created in this legislation and allocated over $1.5 billion in federal funds.
The CBO’s recent analysis further underscores the scale of unauthorized appropriations. Nearly 29 percent of the $1.75 trillion in discretionary spending projected for 2025 is considered unauthorized. According to the CBO:
“$500 billion in funding for fiscal year 2025 can be attributed to 457 of the 1,326 expired authorizations.” The CBO notes this figure represents almost one-third of all fiscal year 2025 spending and exceeds twice the combined annual budgets of several major departments.
“Nearly two-thirds ($307 billion) of that $500 billion was provided for activities whose authorizations expired more than a decade ago.” The oldest lapsed authorization dates back to 1980.
Following recent reforms to mandatory spending through what lawmakers called the One Big Beautiful Bill, there is now renewed focus on reviewing and reauthorizing federal programs to improve fiscal responsibility.
Chairman Arrington commented: “READ Chairman Arrington Sounds the Alarm on the National Debt Surpassing $37 Trillion”
