Congress introduces Duplication Scoring Act of 2026
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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Congress has introduced the **Duplication Scoring Act of 2026**, a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing wasteful federal spending. Led by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) of the House Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee and Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), along with cosponsors including Reps. Paul Gosar, Jasmine Crockett, and Nancy Mace, the measure was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, plus the Budget and Rules committees.[1][4]
The bill requires the **Government Accountability Office (GAO)** to scrutinize bills reported by congressional committees for overlap with existing federal programs, then share findings with the Congressional Budget Office for public release. This builds on GAO's long-standing annual reports, which since 2011 have identified over 1,800 duplicative programs across areas like welfare and education, yielding $600-725 billion in savings from reforms.[2][6][8] Burchett cited the nation's rush toward $40 trillion in debt amid daily waste on redundant initiatives, while Stansbury stressed better service to communities.[1][3]
For Milwaukee residents, this matters as federal duplication drains taxpayer dollars that could fund local priorities like infrastructure or job training. Wisconsin families already feel the pinch from overlapping programs in health care and assistance, and preventing new ones could ease the national debt burden passed to states.[2][5]
The bill's path forward depends on committee action and Speaker-determined timelines, with a related hearing on duplicative programs recently postponed.[10]