> There isn't really much waste in federal spending

I do not believe anyone who has consulted in federal IT or worked on contracts is capable of making such a statement. All of the motivations for all parties are heavily bent towards waste, and in fact any attempt to make things more efficient (reduce headcount, for instance) would be recieved poorly by department heads and contractors.

As one example, a department head who reduces staff by 20% has just reduced their own next year's budget AND kneecapped their resume.