To: Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
From: National Taxpayers Union
Date: May 19, 2026
Subject: NTU’s Views on May 20 Committee Markup
I. Introduction and Key Taxpayer Considerations
On behalf of National Taxpayers Union (NTU), the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, we write to express our views on legislation slated for consideration before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on May 20, 2026. NTU applauds the Committee for its continued efforts to advance legislation that improves government efficiency, enhances transparency, and protects taxpayers from wasteful spending.
II. Legislation NTU Supports at May 20 Markup
H.R. 8096, Duplication Scoring Act – Support. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps. Burchett (R-TN), Stansbury (D-NM), Gosar (R-AZ), Crockett (D-TX), and Mace (R-SC), would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to flag proposed legislation for duplication risk before enactment and transmit that assessment to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the relevant committees. Year after year, GAO has warned lawmakers that billions of taxpayer dollars are needlessly wasted on duplicative programs. Since 2011, GAO has identified more than 2,000 specific actions for Congress and federal agencies to take to address inefficiencies caused by overlapping and fragmented government programs.
As such, Congress should have a clearer understanding of whether proposed legislation to reauthorize existing programs or establish new ones would duplicate current federal efforts. The Duplication Scoring Act would create an early-warning system to help lawmakers identify wasteful and overlapping programs before they are enacted. Under the legislation, GAO would review bills reported by congressional committees to determine whether any provisions would establish programs, offices, or initiatives that duplicate existing federal activities.
GAO would then provide a duplication-risk assessment to the relevant committees and to the CBO for inclusion in legislative cost estimates. By flagging potential overlap before a vote, this process would give lawmakers greater transparency into whether proposed legislation would expand the already complex network of duplicative federal programs identified in GAO’s annual reports.
Far too often, Congress creates new spending programs without considering whether similar efforts already exist, largely to signal action on a particular issue to the public. The result is frequently a less efficient federal government that is a disservice to both taxpayers and the broader public.
By incorporating a “duplication score” into CBO cost estimates, Congress would gain a more complete picture of how legislation affects not only federal spending, but also the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.
III. Additional Resources
1. National Taxpayers Union Foundation blog post: Streamlining Government with the Bipartisan Duplication Scoring Act
2. National Taxpayers Union Foundation blog post: New Legislation Would Help Stop Program Duplication Before It Starts
3. National Taxpayers Union Letter: Duplicative Scoring Act Would Help Congress Avoid Creating Unnecessary Programs
4. National Taxpayers Union Letter: Bill Would Take Steps to End Redundant and Overlapping Government Programs
IV. Contact Information
Should you have any questions about the recommendations in this memo, please do not hesitate to reach out to Thomas Aiello at taiello@ntu.org.