DOGE-Inspired Bill Aims to Expose Government Waste

Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have teamed up to introduce a bipartisan bill designed to bring more transparency to federal spending. The bill, introduced Wednesday, requires the annual presidential budget to include detailed data on improper payments made to federal agencies. It seems like everyone's trying to get in on Elon Musk's Government Efficiency (DOGE) playbook these days.

Senator Ricketts, a member of the Senate DOGE Caucus, stated, "When federal agencies waste money, it means less money for essential services, national defense or deficit reduction. Transparency brings accountability. My bipartisan bill will highlight where money is being misspent so we can combat waste and save taxpayer dollars."

The **Improper Payments Transparency Act** seeks to define improper payments under U.S. law as payments that should not have been made or were made in an incorrect amount. The act mandates a description of the program on an improper payment report, including an explanation of why the improper payment occurred, data on improper payment trends, and a corrective action plan agencies will take to limit improper payments.

Rosen added, "We owe it to the hardworking people of Nevada to make sure that the federal government is using their tax dollars efficiently and responsibly. Our bipartisan legislation will help to increase transparency and cut down on wasteful government spending. I’ll keep working to **clean up Washington** and look after American taxpayers’ hard-earned money." I gotta say, it's refreshing to see bipartisan efforts aimed at fiscal responsibility.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that approximately $2.8 trillion in improper payments have been made since 2003, with about $236 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2023 and $161.6 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2024. The GAO also noted that in Fiscal Year 2023, 10 of 24 executive branch agencies required to report improper payments did not fully comply, suggesting the actual cost of improper payments could be even higher.

The **Improper Payments Transparency Act** has been recognized as one of the top bipartisan bills for taxpayers on the National Taxpayers Union's 2024 "No Brainers" List.

On the House side, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) is sponsoring the Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA) to target overpayments by the federal government. The bill aims to improve payment integrity laws and target overpayments for social safety net programs.

The Senate DOGE Caucus, established in November 2024 by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), is working closely with Musk's DOGE to promote fiscal responsibility and reduce wasteful federal spending. Congress also established the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus in the same month to support DOGE through legislative action. Additionally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) leads the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency for oversight on government efficiency efforts.

Former President Trump signed an executive order establishing the DOGE on Inauguration Day, directing Musk to lead the federal government's efforts "to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity."

DOGE's audits have led to mass layoffs and departures from the federal workforce and slashed federal programs to uncover billions of dollars in savings. While Republicans have generally supported these efforts, many Democrats have protested Trump's executive actions.