July 9, 2025–Due Process Institute joined a letter urging members of Congress to reconsider extreme reductions to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended by the House Appropriations Committee Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026) Legislative Branch Appropriations. Reducing the GAO’s budget authority by half would severely weaken a critical oversight and accountability asset, rendering both the GAO and Congress less effective institutions. Instead, legislators should prioritize modernization and reforms that could make the GAO a more useful resource.
The GAO performs an essential function for Congress, providing information in a nonpartisan and independent manner. The GAO is the first line of oversight for Congress, acting as the eyes and ears of the legislative branch within the workings of the vast federal apparatus. Without the GAO’s expertise and diligence, Congress’s constant struggle for meaningful oversight would be far more challenging. A sweeping cut would undermine the role of Congress and let waste, fraud, and inefficiencies proliferate, resulting in wasteful spending that could far outweigh any immediate savings the current plan might achieve. Likewise, undercutting Congress’s in-house auditors is unlikely to resolve ongoing concerns regarding the GAO’s legal functions, management, and review practices.