Washington, D.C., September 5, 2026 The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its latest report on federal duplication and overlap, identifying 610 matters that could yield an additional $100 billion in savings if addressed. The report, mandated by Public Law 111-139, Section 21, requires the agency to report annually on federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives with potentially duplicative goals or activities.
Since 2011, Congress and federal agencies have resolved approximately 77 percent of the 2,148 matters GAO has flagged across its annual reports, yielding approximately $774.3 billion in cost savings and revenue increases. However, the remaining 610 open matters represent the potential for $100 billion or more in additional savings.
Specific opportunities highlighted in the report include improved health care resource sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) that could save tens of millions of dollars annually, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) evaluation of nuclear waste classification that could save tens of billions of dollars, improving Navy shipbuilding acquisition practices that could yield billions of dollars in cost savings, FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, could generate $15 billion in financial benefits over 15 years with proper reauthorization, and verifying income information for borrowers in the Student Loan Income-Driven Repayment Plan could recover more than $2 billion over 10 years.
Of the 82 open matters GAO identified as candidates for legislative solutions, 30 (about 37 percent) had legislation introduced in the 118th or 119th Congress, but as of early 2026, none had been enacted. That leaves 70 percent of those matters in the category of ‘agency recommendations’ or ‘congressional considerations’ without a clear legislative pathway forward.
The report describes cascading risks across federal operations: agencies lack consistent information about whether their programs work, costs balloon or resources get used inefficiently, citizens encounter barriers navigating overlapping services, and the door opens wider for fraud, waste, and abuse. The Trump administration and Congress face a choice: continue the pattern of incremental action that has yielded $774.3 billion in savings over 15 years, or accelerate resolution of the remaining 610 matters to unlock the estimated $100 billion in additional benefits.
Improved Health Care Resource Sharing
A closer look at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) reveals an opportunity to save tens of millions of dollars annually by improving health care resource sharing between the two departments. The GAO report points out that both agencies operate separate health care systems, leading to duplication and inefficiency. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) evaluation of nuclear waste classification could save tens of billions of dollars.
The report suggests that inconsistent waste classification leads to unnecessary handling and transportation costs, and the DOE’s review could help streamline the process. Improving Navy shipbuilding acquisition practices could yield billions of dollars in cost savings.
The GAO report notes that the Navy’s use of multiple shipbuilding yards and contractors results in higher costs and inefficiencies. FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, could generate $15 billion in financial benefits over 15 years with proper reauthorization. Meanwhile, verifying income information for borrowers in the Student Loan Income-Driven Repayment Plan could recover more than $2 billion over 10 years, according to the GAO report.
Looking forward, the Trump administration and Congress must decide whether to continue incremental action or accelerate the resolution of the remaining 610 matters to unlock the estimated $100 billion in additional benefits. The GAO report underscores the need for action, highlighting cascading risks across federal operations and the potential for significant cost savings and improvements in efficiency.
