Today Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released its WasteWatcher, a monthly dispatch to members of the news media, highlighting some of the most prominent fiscal issues affecting American taxpayers. The stories from January's WasteWatcher edition are listed in part as follows:

What's the Word? WRDA!
By William M. Christian
"WRDA," a legislative acronym pronounced "word-uh" in Beltway speak and not to be confused with Cameo's 1986 hip-hop hit, "Word Up," refers to the Water Resources Development Act, the authorization of water-related infrastructure projects. Read the full storyhere.

The Good, the Bad, and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013
By PJ Austin
On December 26, 2013, President Obama signed H. J. Res. 59, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which sets a two-year budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014 and FY 2015. Although H.J. Res. 59 included some positive provisions, on the whole, it is an ugly deal for taxpayers. Read the full story here.

Problem Identified, Solution Needed
By Sean Kennedy
"The problem isn't that we don't know what the problem is, the problem is that we [members of Congress] don't act," Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) stated in testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on January 9, 2014. Read the full story here.

Medicaid Expansion - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
By Elizabeth Wright
CAGW is against the expansion of Medicaid. It is a terrible healthcare system that is paid for by taxpayers and consumes on average 24 percent of a state's budget. The Congressional Budget Office predicts Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, will grow 8 percent. Read the full storyhere.

A Picture of Real FCC Reform
By Deborah Collier
Even in successful industries such as communications, the government's regulatory burdens have an adverse impact on innovation and growth. The cost of compliance is high and often passed along to consumers in the form of fees and additional taxes. Read the full story here.

Put the Taxpayers' Money and the Unemployed to Work
By Alexandra Booze
After emergency unemployment insurance benefits expired for more than 1.3 million Americans on December 28, 2013, President Obama vowed to make the issue a top priority in the New Year. On January 6, 2014, the Senate voted 60-37 in favor of S. 1845, which would extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program. Read the full story here.

CAGW is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)
Alexandra Booze, 202-467-5318
Leslie K. Paige, 202-467-5300