Improper payments, empty federal buildings, and fragmented disaster response are among the key drivers of waste and inefficiency in the federal government, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO’s 2025 High-Risk List, “Heightened Attention Could Save Billions and Improve Government Efficiency and Effectiveness,” was released Tuesday, and, among other things, it details the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s multiple problems with disaster response.

President Donald Trump has suggested closing down FEMA and transferring its authority over to the states.

Trump has also called for federal employees to return to the office. The GAO report notes that telework from home has led to costly underused buildings.

The GAO publishes a High-Risk List at the start of each new Congress to update lawmakers on the 38 areas that present a financial risk of loss of at least $1 billion to taxpayers.

The 321-page report says that this year, 10 of the 38 high-risk areas were improved; however, three regressed, and the remaining agencies had mixed results.

The areas that regressed were the management of federal property,........

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