Your Tax Dollars Are Funding a Program That Sells Information Available Online for Free

In yet another example of government waste, Washington maintains a $111 million program that sells information that is mostly available for free on the internet.

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) charges users for access to government information and services.

Government agencies and the general public can purchase subscription access to government reports, distribution of print-based informational materials, and other products through the NTIS.

The NTIS is funded through a revolving fund, which means it is not allocated money on a yearly basis as most government programs are.

NTIS funding is considered “appropriated”, whether from Congress or transferred from another government agency upon purchase of NTIS services.

Despite Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that the NTIS has incurred net revenues in 8 of the last 11 years, it is likely that the recorded “profit” is simply a transfer of federal funds from another agency.

The GAO also recognized that NTIS products have performed dismally.

Product expenditures exceeded revenue in 10 of the last 11 years, and lost an average of $1.3 million a year.

This is likely due to that fact that 70 percent of these products were available for free online. With the NTIS selling only 8 percent of its 25 million reports, it is clear that consumers are reluctant to purchase products that are available for free elsewhere.

The elimination of this unnecessary program is an easy way to trim wasteful government spending, an always important undertaking considering the staggering U.S. debt and growing federal budget.

Prior to his retirement in 2014, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., took on the mission of eliminating NTIS through government hearings and proposed legislation.

To continue his efforts, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., along with Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., introduced the Just Google It Act on June 22.

As Kirk said about the program, “instead of wasting millions of dollars…the federal government should join the 21st Century and just Google it.”

This story has been updated to correct the headline of the Government Accountability Office.