{"id":2407420,"date":"2025-02-27T11:01:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-and-miller-meeks-introduce-bill-demanding-disclosure-of-delayed-and-over-budget-government-projects-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-27T11:01:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:01:52","slug":"ernst-and-miller-meeks-introduce-bill-demanding-disclosure-of-delayed-and-over-budget-government-projects-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-and-miller-meeks-introduce-bill-demanding-disclosure-of-delayed-and-over-budget-government-projects-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Ernst and Miller-Meeks introduce bill demanding disclosure of delayed and over-budget government projects &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fernst-and-miller-meeks-introduce-bill-demanding-disclosure-of-delayed-and-over-budget-government-projects-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2407420&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, both Republicans from \u2063Iowa, have introduced a new legislative proposal known \u2064as the Billion\u200d Dollar Boondoggle Act. This bill mandates the\u2064 government to produce an annual report on taxpayer-funded projects that exceed their budgets by at least a\u200c billion dollars \u2064or fall five \u200dyears behind schedule. The proposed legislation aims to enhance transparency and accountability in government \u200cspending, \u200das\u200c both lawmakers criticize previous inefficiencies in handling taxpayer dollars. Ernst highlighted notorious\u2062 examples of wasteful spending, including California&#8217;s high-speed rail \u200cproject, which \u2064has experienced meaningful budget overruns and delays. The act is part of broader \u2062efforts among\u200d Republicans to address\u2064 government waste and \u200cimprove fiscal obligation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Ernst and Miller-Meeks introduce bill demanding disclosure of delayed and over-budget government projects<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2021369\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joni-ernst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joni Ernst\">Joni Ernst<\/a> (R-IA) and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) introduced bills requiring the government to disclose projects that go heavily over budget or run behind schedule.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The duo&rsquo;s Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act would require an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-introduces-bill-demanding-disclosure-of-delayed-and-over-budget-government-projects-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"... introduces ... demanding disclosure of delayed and over...... ... ... ... Examiner\">annual report detailing taxpayer-funded government projects<\/a> that run either five years behind schedule or at least a billion dollars over budget. According to the bill, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">relevant projects include major acquisitions<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stealth-fighters-performance-not-living-up-to-the-price-tag\/\" title=\"Stealth Fighter\u2019s Performance Not Living Up to the Price Tag\">major defense acquisition programs<\/a>, procurements, construction projects, and remediation or cleanup efforts.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From its &lsquo;moondoggles&rsquo; to off-the-rails projects, Washington can&rsquo;t seem to ever make the trains run on time or on budget,&rdquo; Ernst told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.&nbsp;&ldquo;Bureaucrats always find a way to pay a whole lot more for planes, trains, and automobiles &mdash; and just about everything else. I am slamming&nbsp;the brakes on boondoggles and bringing them to a squealing halt.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans were elected on a platform to tackle waste, fraud, and abuse,&rdquo; Miller-Meeks told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;As Members of Congress, we are entrusted to be stewards of taxpayer dollars, and government projects that are excessively costly and delayed must be held to account. Our bill will increase transparency &mdash; along with ongoing efforts by President Trump &mdash; to ensure we aren&rsquo;t wasting&nbsp;billions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/for-america-to-grow-washingtons-swampy-spending-spree-has-to-shrink\/\" title=\"For America To Grow, ...\u2019s Swampy Spending Spree Has To Shrink\">hard-earned taxpayer dollars<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ernst&rsquo;s office provided several examples of government projects that have gone far behind schedule and over budget. Perhaps the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/3329510\/doge-california-high-speed-rail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"infamous\">infamous<\/a> is California&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/high-speed-rail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"infamous\">high-speed rail<\/a>&nbsp;project, which costs roughly $1.8 million per day despite no tracks being laid. The original price tag of $33 billion in 2008 has tripled to $128 billion, more than qualifying for Ernst&rsquo;s new bill.<\/p>\n<p>A project to introduce electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service at a cost of $10 billion was also cited &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2024\/12\/11\/biden-usps-ev-oshkosh-climate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"fewer than 100\">fewer than 100<\/a> of the ordered 50,000 trucks planned to be put into service by 2028 have so far been delivered.<\/p>\n<p>The &ldquo;moondoggle&rdquo; decried by Ernst refers to NASA&rsquo;s efforts to return to the moon, which have gone $6 billion over budget and years behind schedule.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ernst, who has made efforts to cut government waste a cornerstone of her time in the Senate, intensified her efforts following GOP victories in the 2024 elections. She co-founded the Senate DOGE Caucus, which has sought to coordinate with Elon Musk&rsquo;s Department of Government Efficiency to cut perceived government waste more effectively.<\/p>\n<p>She has racked up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3296080\/joni-ernst-celebrates-trump-executive-order-federal-workers-end-telework\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"victories\">victories<\/a> on subjects such as ending government teleworking, of which she was a vocal critic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2021369\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2021369\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ernst and Miller-Meeks propose bill for transparency on costly, delayed government projects<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2407421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ernst-.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[51224,11232,32690,4762,45792],"class_list":["post-2407420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-budget-oversight","tag-ernst","tag-government-transparency","tag-legislation","tag-miller-meeks"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ernst-.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407420"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2407424,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407420\/revisions\/2407424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2407421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}