Federal bureaucrats set for “spend it or lose it” spending spree
WHO: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is expected to dramatically increase its procurement spending in September because federal bureaucrats fear Congress might cut their budget if they don’t spend it all.
WHAT: Spending in the last quarter of 2007 on the DHS Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge contract program jumped to $2.4 billion, more than triple the amount spent on the program in the preceding three quarters, according to a report quoted by Government Executive magazine.
WHY IT’S AN OUTRAGE: Just in the second quarter of 2008, EAGLE spending skyrocketed again, from $43 million a year ago to more than $300 million, so the fourth quarter looks like a doozy. The average fourth-quarter spending increase by all federal agencies is 34 percent.
