119-S-766 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary — Document 119-S-766 (Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025)

Headline Summary: Require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to publish a yearly, public report identifying taxpayer‑funded projects that are massively over budget or long past deadline, along with plain‑English explanations. [1]Congress.gov — S.766 — Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 (CRS summary and b…

What It Does: The bill directs OMB to collect from federal agencies, each year, a short description and status update for any project that is either more than five years behind schedule or at least $1 billion over its original cost estimate, then post those entries in a single annual report to Congress and the public. Agencies must explain the overruns or delays and note contractors involved. It’s a disclosure rule—no funding is cut by this bill itself. [1]Congress.gov — S.766 — Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 (CRS summary and b…

Why It Matters: Supporters say a centralized, public list would make it easier for Congress and taxpayers to spot and scrutinize chronic problem projects. Oversight bodies have documented large cost growth and delays in some major programs (for example, VA’s electronic health record modernization and several Defense acquisition programs), illustrating the kind of projects this bill aims to surface in one place. [3]U.S. Government Accountability Office — GAO-25-106874 — Electronic Health Recor…[4]U.S. Government Accountability Office — GAO-25-107569 — Weapon Systems Annual A…

Who’s For It:

• Sponsor Sen. Joni Ernst (R‑IA) and allies frame it as a transparency push to expose runaway costs and long delays. [5]U.S. Senator Joni Ernst — Ernst press release: Bipartisan ‘boondoggles’ and ‘se…
• The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced the bill unanimously on July 30, 2025, signaling bipartisan backing. [5]U.S. Senator Joni Ernst — Ernst press release: Bipartisan ‘boondoggles’ and ‘se…
• Similar legislation drew bipartisan support in the prior Congress, passing the Senate in March 2024. [6]U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen — Sen. Jacky Rosen press release: Prior ‘Billion Dolla…

Who’s Against It:

• No organized opposition is publicly documented so far. Some observers of federal oversight caution, in general, that new reporting mandates can duplicate existing GAO and agency reporting or add administrative burden, and that raw overrun figures may reflect scope changes or inflation rather than simple mismanagement. [4]U.S. Government Accountability Office — GAO-25-107569 — Weapon Systems Annual A…

What’s Next: As of November 3, 2025, S. 766 is placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar (Calendar No. 254), awaiting potential floor debate and vote; if it passes, the measure would move to the House. [2]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Calendar of Business (Nov. 4, 2025) — General Orders lis…