GAO's Annual Report to Congress - our future's so dark we better wear NVGs...

Feb 6, 2025, 8:28 PM

Yesterday, in amongst the apoplectic outrage by segments of Congress over the Federal Bureaucracy being given a much needed spending rectal exam - the GAO released it's annual "The Nation's Fiscal Health" report. As it has been for the past decade - it's that gentle tap on the shoulder to Congress by the GAO that says - "Hey guys - ummm... you might want to look at this Federal debt thing because it is unsustainable and WE ARE ABOUT TO RIDE IT OVER A F**KING CLIFF!!!

Some key highlights:
- Debt held by the public is currently $28.2 trillion, Intergovernmental debt is $7.2 trillion for a total of $35.4 trillion.
- In 2024 we reached a public debt that was 98% of GDP.
- Publicly held debt is projected to grow more than twice as fast as the economy, reaching 200% of the size of the economy by 2047.
- Government spending on net interest in FY 2024 exceeded federal spending on Medicare and national defense, and is projected to keep growing.
- Social Security and Medicare are supported by trust funds that will be depleted in 8 and 11 years, respectively, (i.e. 2033 and 2036) according to projections.
- If we continue along the same trajectory as today, by 2053 we will have a 240% debt to GDP ratio. To reduce that nightmare 2053 projection to our current 100% debt to GDP ratio would require some pain starting today. GAO calculates we need an annual revenue increase of 27.9% (if no change in spending) OR annual spending reduction of 21.3% (if no change in revenue) over the next 30 years. Of course that is an all or nothing approach to the two budget dials and maybe we could do a little less on each by tweaking both dials at the same time...

Never fear there is a lot more dark news in the 26 page report but they did offer the following:

- A Strategy Is Needed to Change the Unsustainable Fiscal Path

- A sustainable fiscal policy would lead to debt held by the public growing at the same—or slower—rate than the economy.

GAO’s work has identified several components of an effective fiscal strategy:
1. Incorporate well-designed fiscal rules and targets to help manage debt, for example by controlling factors such as spending and revenue to meet a debt-to-GDP target.
2. Assess the drivers of the primary deficit, such as mandatory and discretionary spending and revenue.
3. Address financing gaps for Social Security and Medicare. Both programs are supported by trust funds that will be depleted in 8 and 11 years, respectively, according to projections.
4. Pursue opportunities to improve fiscal responsibility through efficiencies; better program management to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as improper payments; better addressing a yawning tax gap; and reducing costly tax expenditures.
5. Consider replacing the current debt limit.

Hey - what you know - the White House is trying to implement #4 above but.... WE CAN'T DO THIS - ELON MUSK AND DOGE IS EVIL!!!!

For the GAO Summary go here:
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107714

To download the report:
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-107714.pdf

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Just because Democrats the typical leftist echo chambers are screaming it at the top of their lungs does not make it true. Instead - you are being gaslit by those voices.

The formation and mission of DOGE is completely legal. Even the Judge who ruled on the DOGE Treasury database access recognized as such by granting "2" Treasury Dept DOGE members access with the qualifier that such access was "read only"... "as needed for the performance of his duties". Had those DOGE duties been illegal - the Judge would have ruled as such.

Just so we are clear.... DOGE isn't actually cutting/cancelling/de-funding anything. Everything that has been cut has been done by the President or an Agency head. None of the cuts have been Statutory cuts as that would require Congress.

DOGE was established by an Executive Order IAW section 3161 of title 5, United States Code. DOGE has been given instruction, authority, and clearance by the President to do exactly what they are doing. Furthermore every Agency was instructed with the following:

"In consultation with USDS (United States DOGE Service), each Agency Head shall establish within their respective Agencies a DOGE Team of at least four employees, which may include Special Government Employees, hired or assigned within thirty days of the date of this Order. Agency Heads shall select the DOGE Team members in consultation with the USDS Administrator. Each DOGE Team will typically include one DOGE Team Lead, one engineer, one human resources specialist, and one attorney. Agency Heads shall ensure that DOGE Team Leads coordinate their work with USDS and advise their respective Agency Heads on implementing the President‘s DOGE Agenda."

DOGE is the conduit that has been given Presidential direction and authority within the Executive Branch to look at all Agency spending in order to highlight areas of potential waste, fraud and abuse. In order to do this DOGE must have access to all the spending data. As DOGE looks at the spending data they provide information/recommendations to the Agency heads and the Executive Office of the President for potential spending cuts. At that point either the President or the Agency heads may or may not act on the DOGE information. But let's be clear - DOGE is NOT cancelling/de-funding anything themselves - they are advising the appropriate Executive authorities of potential waste, fraud, and abuse whereupon those with the proper authority make the final decision.

GAO's Annual Report to Congress - our future's so dark we better wear NVGs...

Are you suggesting we just trash the Constitution because of this report?

This is what the founders intended?***

Re: This is what the founders intended?***

Exactly how is the Constitution being trashed??

Not according to Musk.

Dude - I've told you how it is in fact working. The DOGE team can take credit

When DOGE meets the biggest elephant in the room, the DOD

Re: When DOGE meets the biggest elephant in the room, the DOD

Re: Exactly how is the Constitution being trashed??

why are you diverting the issue over to

you have acne!!***

Co-presidents Trump and Musk dont care about

Believe what you want but can you name any other President or Administration

For sure theres bloat, and I totally support cutting that out.

Maybe the "bull in the china shop" approach is exactly what we need...

The only thing thats worse than I imagined is this

Long overdue at Dept of Defense? It he biggest piece of the pie.***

Yep, if they actually cared about cutting bloat,

Exactly.. NO ONE is going to look into Blackwater or let Medicade negotiate...

Related:

Re: GAO's Annual Report to Congress - our future's so dark we better wear NVGs...

Re: GAO's Annual Report to Congress - our future's so dark we better wear NVGs...

How to blow a countrys balance sheet up inthree to six months

so the libs of tnet

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