Trump signs law forcing disclosure of billion-dollar federal overruns and delays
President Donald Trump signed the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, mandating agencies to publicly list projects that are at least $1 billion over budget or five years behind schedule.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump enacted the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, a bill that obliges federal agencies to publish details of any project that exceeds $1 billion in cost overruns or falls five years behind its original timeline. The measure, authored by Sen. Joni Ernst and co-sponsored by Sen. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, cleared both chambers with bipartisan support before reaching the White House.
Ernst announced five flagship boondoggles, including the F-35 modernization program, the Hudson River Tunnel, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, NASA’s Dragonfly spacecraft, and the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Each of these initiatives is significantly over budget and delayed, with some stretching decades beyond their planned completion dates. Proponents argue the law will increase transparency and protect taxpayers from unchecked spending on failing projects. Critics warn it could add reporting burdens to already stretched agency resources.
Why it matters
The law forces public visibility on costly, delayed federal projects, aiming to improve fiscal accountability for taxpayers.
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