Republican Lawmaker Seeks to Phase Out ‘Zombie’ Federal Programs Costing Over $510 Billion

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) sponsored one of four bills calling for an end to COVID-19 emergency measures that was adopted by the House Rules Committee, in Washington, on Jan. 30, 2023. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) wants to phase out the more than 1,100 “zombie” federal agencies and programs that have continued for years after legislative authorizations have expired, at a cost of more than $358 billion annually.

The McMorris Rodgers proposal is the Unauthorized Spending Act (USA), which she has introduced in every Congress since 2016. The Washington state Republican believes the measure (H.R. 1518) is needed to restore to voters the power of accountability in the nation’s capital.