FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2025
democracyrestored.org

“Our agencies failed us, so it’s time for us to fix them.”

In a new opinion piece published this week, Democracy Restored Director Houston Keene called out the media’s desperate attempt to spin the long-overdue reality check facing the federal bureaucracy.

For far too long, the federal government has been plagued by bureaucratic bloat and inefficiency, draining taxpayer dollars without delivering results. The recent efforts to streamline the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are necessary steps toward restoring accountability.

One of the most egregious examples of rampant bureaucracy within HHS was the closure of 40 communications offices. Why would HHS need a bigger communications team than the White House?

The inefficiency doesn’t stop there. At the Center for Tobacco Products, fewer than 50 products were authorized out of 26 million applications. Were employees at the agency even doing their jobs?

“The legacy media and online talking heads have gone into a tailspin over the recent cuts,” Keene wrote. “They’ve focused on the fired employees and exaggerated the consequences. But these cuts are a much-needed corrective. It’s time to hold our agencies accountable for their performance.”

“It is important for us to remember one important fact as we continue to see our government shrink and streamline: This is accountability,” Keene wrote. “For decades, our government agencies have grown larger in size and scope, draining taxpayer dollars for little follow-through. Our agencies failed us, so it’s time for us to fix them.”

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