GAO chief rebukes spending discipline
Source: By: Samuel Loewenberg, The Politico, February 27, 2008 04:57 PM EST
Few people know the underbelly of government spending better than David Walker, who is stepping down next month as the head of the Government Accountability Office.
..... At the top of his hit list is Medicare, and in particular the new prescription drug benefit that went into effect in 2006. The true costs of that program were hidden from Congress and the American public, said Walker, who previously served as a Medicare trustee during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The real cost of the drug program for seniors, Walker said, will be more than $8 trillion.
...... Another area that drew the comptroller general's fire was the use of contractors by government agencies, particularly the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon and other agencies in Iraq. "The biggest area of waste in this government is acquisition and contracting," Walker said.