HR 1722: Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act

HR 1722 in plain English: This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect data from federal agencies on projects that are more than five years behind schedule or have exceeded their original cost estimate by at least $1 billion, then report that information to Congress annually.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to increase transparency about federal projects that are significantly over budget or behind schedule by requiring agencies to report detailed information annually to Congress and the public.

Key points

• Covers federal projects more than 5 years behind schedule or at least $1 billion over original cost estimate
• Agencies must report project descriptions, original and current timelines, cost estimates adjusted for inflation, and reasons for delays or overruns
• Agencies must disclose any bonuses, incentive fees, or awards paid out for covered projects
• OMB must publish an annual report to Congress and post it publicly on its website

Arguments supporters make

• Making this information public and routine gives Congress and citizens a clear, regular view of where federal spending has gone off track, enabling better accountability.
• Requiring agencies to explain delays and cost overruns — and to disclose bonuses paid despite poor performance — creates pressure to manage projects more carefully from the start.
• A standardized annual report makes it easier to spot patterns of waste across agencies and take corrective action before problems grow even larger.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill only requires reporting and does not give anyone new authority to stop, fix, or penalize failing projects, so it may produce paperwork without producing results.
• Large, complex federal projects often run long or over budget due to factors like changing national needs or congressional funding decisions, and a simple list could mislead the public by stripping away important context.
• Creating a new annual reporting mandate adds administrative burden and cost to agencies, potentially diverting staff time and resources away from actually completing the projects in question.

Tradeoffs

Greater public transparency about troubled projects could improve accountability, but the reporting requirement adds administrative work for agencies without directly fixing the underlying problems of cost overruns or delays.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week