Joyce Questions Government Accountability Office on Maintenance of Federal Properties

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce (OH-14) questioned U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Director of Physical Infrastructure, Dave Marroni, on the GAO’s assessment of the costs of deferred maintenance across the federal government. 

Watch the full hearing here.

Congressman Joyce in his opening remarks: “I have said for years that we do a lot of talking in DC about how much we owe – and rightfully so, with the national debt continuing to climb – but we do not do a good job of talking about what we own. The U.S. government needs a clear balance sheet to fully understand both our costs and our assets, and I am hopeful that GAO can assist in that process.” 

Congressman Joyce on deferred maintenance: “To help Congress and the executive branch manage the federal government’s operations, GAO created a High-Risk List. This list, which is updated every two years, identifies areas that are ripe for waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement, or areas that need to be fundamentally overhauled. Disturbingly, the maintenance of federal properties went on this list in 2003 and has not come off in 22 years. The issue of deferred maintenance plays heavily into this problem.”

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