Sen. Tom Coburn Releases Report on Unspent Federal Money

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, released a highly-detailed report on Thursday about how much federal money sits unspent in government accounts for numerous reasons. Some of the money has been targeted to specific projects but hasn’t been tapped, while a huge amount has never been obligated.
The exception to the proverb ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ is the federal government, where an unspent dollar represents lost opportunities to reduce the debt or to assist an individual, a family, or a community,” Coburn said.
“Nearly every challenge we face conjures up the same response from Washington: spend more money.
“However well-intended the effort may be, Congress’ lack of oversight consistently hurts the very people these appropriated funds are intended to help. Severely disabled individuals and AIDS patients left without care, structurally deficient bridges in dire need of repair, and students in the classrooms of some of the nation’s worst schools should not have to suffer as a result of our failure to set priorities and budget wisely.”