Overview

• The Government Accountability Office's 2025 High-Risk List outlines 38 federal areas susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.
• The GAO estimates $84 billion in savings over the past two years due to its recommendations but notes uneven progress across agencies.
• Disaster recovery efforts remain fragmented across 30 federal entities, complicating aid delivery and highlighting the need for improved coordination and resilience investments.
• Improper payments, including those in Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance, accounted for over $150 billion annually in recent years, with total improper payments since 2003 exceeding $2.8 trillion.
• The report critiques underutilized federal buildings, exacerbated by telework, with maintenance costs exceeding $10.3 billion annually and deferred maintenance rising to $370 billion in 2024.