Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 would require an annual, public-facing report on taxpayer-funded projects that are seriously over budget or behind schedule. It defines which programs are captured (the “covered projects” funded by “covered agencies” such as executive branch agencies and independent regulatory agencies) and sets thresholds for inclusion: a project is covered if it is more than five years behind its original completion date or if actual spending exceeds the original cost estimate by at least $1 billion. The Bill tasks the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with issuing guidance within a year to collect standardized project data, including purpose, locations, contractors, scope changes, timing, cost estimates (original and current, CPI-adjusted), explanations for delays or costs increases, and any awards or incentives. The Director must then provide an annual report to Congress and post it publicly on the OMB website. In short, the billWould increase transparency around large, high-risk federal projects by mandating ongoing, uniform reporting on scope, cost, schedule, and accountability details, with data meant to be publicly visible and used for congressional oversight.
Key Points
- 1Defines the scope: “covered agencies” (executive agencies and independent regulatory agencies) and “covered projects” (major acquisitions, major defense programs, procurements, construction, remediation/cleanup, or other time-limited efforts not funded through direct spending) that exceed a $1 billion cost overrun or fall more than five years behind schedule.
- 2Data requirements: annual submission to the Director of OMB including project description, location, contract numbers, start year, federal share, all primary/subcontractors and grant recipients, scope changes, original and current completion dates, CPI-adjusted cost estimates (original and current), explanations for delays or cost increases, and any awards/bonuses with rationale.
- 3CPI adjustments: cost estimates must be adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 4Oversight and publication: the Director must issue guidance within one year of enactment and the annual report must be provided to Congress and posted on the OMB website.
- 5Accountability mechanism: focuses on transparency and oversight rather than imposing penalties; aims to publicly highlight large overruns and delays, including incentives or bonuses tied to projects.