Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act

Text in the Record

Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1722) to require an annual report of taxpayer-funded projects that are over budget and behind schedule, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1722

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT.

(a) Definitions.--In this section-- (1) the term ``covered agency'' means-- (A) an Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code; and (B) an independent regulatory agency, as defined in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code; (2) the term ``covered project'' means a project funded by a covered agency-- (A) that is more than 5 years behind schedule, as measured against the original expected date for completion; or (B) for which the amount spent on the project is not less than $1,000,000,000 more than the original cost estimate for the project; (3) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and (4) the term ``project'' means a major acquisition, a major defense acquisition program (as defined in section 4201 of title 10, United States Code), a procurement, a construction project, a remediation or clean-up effort, or any other time- limited endeavor, that is not funded through direct spending (as defined in section 250(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900(c))). (b) Requirements.-- (1) Submission.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue guidance requiring covered agencies to, on an annual basis, submit to the Director information relating to each covered project of the covered agency, which shall include-- (A) a brief description of the covered project, including-- (i) the purpose of the covered project; (ii) each location in which the covered project is carried out; (iii) the contract or award number of the covered project, where applicable; (iv) the year in which the covered project was initiated; (v) the Federal share of the total cost of the covered project; and (vi) each primary contractor, subcontractor, grant recipient, and subgrantee recipient of the covered project; (B) an explanation of any change to the original scope of the covered project, including by the addition or narrowing of the initial requirements of the covered project; (C) the original expected date for completion of the covered project; (D) the current expected date for completion of the covered project; (E) the original cost estimate for the covered project, as adjusted to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; (F) the current cost estimate for the covered project, as adjusted to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; (G) an explanation for a delay in completion or an increase in the original cost estimate for the covered project, including, where applicable, any impact of insufficient or delayed appropriations; and (H) the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive fee, or other type of bonus, if any, awarded for the covered project. (2) Report.--The Director shall submit to Congress and post on the website of the Office of Management and Budget an annual report containing the information submitted under paragraph (1) for the relevant year. (3) Form.--The report required under paragraph (2) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.

General Leave

Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, Congress cannot sit on the sidelines while government projects continue to soar above cost projections and run behind schedule. Each year, the Government Accountability Office reports on such projects, including Federal information technology programs and National Nuclear Security Administration projects. However, there are likely additional government boondoggles flying under the radar, falling years behind schedule, or running billions of dollars over budget. The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act will keep policymakers and the public better informed about government-funded projects that are significantly behind schedule or over budget. We cannot fix what we do not know is broken. This bill directs agencies to report on projects that are more than 5 years behind schedule or have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate. The Office of Management and Budget is then required to submit an annual report to Congress summarizing these troubled Federal projects. Congress has a duty to oversee the Federal Government for inefficiency and waste. This bill informs policymakers and allows Congress to address failing government projects before further taxpayer dollars are misused. A similar bill passed the House in the 118th Congress as S. 1258, and the identical bill, S. 766, sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst, passed the Senate in December 2025. I thank Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Yassamin Ansari for their work on the House companion bill. It is time to get this bill sent to the President's desk. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 1722, the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025. Congress has a duty to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently, transparently, and with real accountability for results, but Federal programs often fall behind schedule or go way over budget without Congress' knowledge. This bill would require that Congress be notified of any project that is more than 5 years behind schedule or $1 billion over budget. The report would include explanations of any changes to the project scope, cost estimate, or completion date. This will help Congress perform critical oversight on behalf of the American people. It will also keep projects on time and on budget. This is a bipartisan fix to increase fiscal responsibility. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BURLISON. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks). Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Burlison for yielding me time and for his support of this important legislation, H.R. 1722, the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act. I also offer special thanks to my fellow Iowan, Senator Joni Ernst, who is leading this bill in the Senate. She has been a true champion when it comes to exposing Washington's waste and protecting the hard- earned dollars of the American people. Madam Speaker, Washington's worst-kept secret is its prolific spending problem. Families in Iowa and all across this country have to balance their checkbooks every single month. They budget. They plan, and when money is tight, they make it work or they do without.

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