Citizens Against Government Waste

Citizens Against Government Waste
Name	Citizens Against Government Waste
Abbreviation	CAGW
Founded	1984
Founder	Tom Schatz
Type	Advocacy group
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Tom Schatz
Area served	United States

Citizens Against Government Waste is a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization founded in 1984 that focuses on fiscal policy, regulatory reform, and oversight of public spending. The group engages in research, publicity campaigns, litigation, and scorecarding to influence legislative outcomes and public debates in the United States. It has been active in congressional hearings, election-year advertising, and coalition work with other fiscal and taxpayer groups.

History

The organization was established in 1984 by Tom Schatz, who had prior experience with American Legislative Exchange Council, National Taxpayers Union, and various Conservative movement networks. During the 1980s the group aligned with prominent fiscal conservatives in the Reagan administration and worked alongside figures from Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute to promote spending cuts. In the 1990s CAGW participated in debates over the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, and policy fights involving members of the United States Congress such as Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole. In the 2000s and 2010s it targeted earmarks linked to representatives including Ted Stevens and aligned against provisions opposed by Grover Norquist and Mitch McConnell. The group has continued activity into the 2020s, interacting with administrations of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, and engaging with legislative initiatives in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.

Mission and Activities

CAGW states goals that mirror positions advocated by think tanks such as the American Legislative Exchange Council and Heritage Foundation: reducing spending, eliminating what it deems wasteful projects, and promoting transparency in the United States Congress. Activities include publishing reports, maintaining a "Congressional Pig Book" that catalogs earmarks and projects associated with members like Dianne Feinstein, Steny Hoyer, and Ben Nelson, issuing annual "Wastebook" compilations profiling items tied to officials such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, and producing scorecards aimed at lawmakers like John McCain and Elizabeth Warren. The organization organizes grassroots campaigns, files amicus briefs in cases that reach the Supreme Court of the United States or the United States Court of Appeals, and collaborates with coalitions that include National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and industry associations.

Political Advocacy and Campaigns

CAGW engages in electoral and legislative advocacy, producing advertisements and direct mail targeting candidates and incumbents including Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Ryan, and Rand Paul. It has sponsored campaign-style ads during midterm cycles and presidential elections, lobbied the United States Congress on appropriations and authorizations, and backed amendments advanced by lawmakers like Pat Toomey and Tom Coburn. The group has run campaigns against specific programs associated with agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy, and has filed Freedom of Information Act requests concerning projects with ties to members including Harry Reid and John Boehner.

Funding and Finances

Funding for the organization has come from individual donors, corporate contributors, and grants connected to networks that include Chamber of Commerce of the United States, energy industry groups, and philanthropy associated with families like the Koch family. Financial disclosures and watchdog analyses by organizations such as Center for Responsive Politics have tracked donations and expenditures, noting relationships with political action committees and vendor contracts. The organization maintains nonprofit status with filings overseen by the Internal Revenue Service, and its financial operations have been reported in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Criticism and Controversies

CAGW has faced criticism from progressive organizations such as Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and Common Cause for its ties to corporate donors and perceived selective targeting of certain lawmakers. Journalists at The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian have scrutinized its methodologies in labeling projects as "wasteful" and questioned potential conflicts of interest connected to contributors like Halliburton-linked contractors or firms represented in advocacy coalitions. Critics have compared its messaging to that of advocacy organizations active in the Tea Party movement and have highlighted disputes in Congressional hearings involving members such as Maxine Waters and Henry Waxman.

Impact and Influence

The organization has claimed successes in helping to reduce earmarks, influence appropriations debates in the United States Senate Appropriations Committee and the United States House Appropriations Committee, and shape public perceptions through publications that garnered attention from media outlets including Fox News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN. Its reports have been cited by lawmakers from both parties such as John Kasich and Joe Manchin when arguing for fiscal restraint. Scholars at institutions like George Mason University, Brookings Institution, and Harvard Kennedy School have examined its role in the broader ecosystem of advocacy groups influencing fiscal policy.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The group is led by its founder Tom Schatz, who serves as president and public spokesman and has testified before panels including committees chaired by members such as Orrin Hatch and Patrick Leahy. The organization maintains a board and staff that liaise with partner groups including Tax Foundation, American Action Forum, and Reason Foundation, and contracts communications firms and lobbying entities registered under rules enforced by the Federal Election Commission. Its headquarters in Washington, D.C. serves as a hub for coordination with state-level taxpayer groups and national coalitions.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1984