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Federal Waste Under the Spotlight: DOGE’s Sweet 16 Bracket Invites Public Participation
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, is ready to unveil a unique NCAA-style bracket featuring the most outrageous examples of federal waste. This initiative allows the public to vote on and identify which expenses should be cut in a fun and engaging tournament format.
Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and the leader of the DOGE caucus in the Senate, shared insights with Fox News Digital about how the federal government’s continuous spending resembles the madness of college basketball. While March Madness captures the nation’s attention for just a month, Ernst emphasizes that the government’s spending issues are prevalent throughout the entire year.
Ernst remarked, “The Senate DOGE Caucus is dedicated to putting an end to wasteful government expenditures. We are aiming to increase transparency and ensure that government serves the American populace effectively.” The tournament format includes sixteen contenders, each representing notable wasteful expenditures, which the public will help filter down to the final two wasting items.
How the Bracket Operates
The first round will unveil sixteen selected items for public voting on social media platforms, particularly X. Voters will initially choose eight items deemed most excessive, followed by four semi-finalists, culminating in a championship showdown between the two most wasteful items.
A Range of Wasteful Expenditures
Each member of the DOGE caucus selected a specific example of government waste for the tournament. While the competition might not produce shockers like Lehigh University’s upset of Duke in 2012, the presentation of these items is bound to surprise the public.
Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, is spotlighting a 4.5 million dollar allocation designed to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan. Similarly, Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is well-known for coaching Auburn University’s football team, is highlighting a 168 thousand dollar expense for an exhibit dedicated to Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health Museum in Maryland.
Another notable example includes 7.9 million dollars earmarked to teach journalists in Sri Lanka how to avoid binary-gendered language, represented by Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana. Senator Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, will showcase 45 million dollars spent on a scholarship program catering to Burmese individuals, further illustrating the diverse spectrum of spending.
Additional Noteworthy Entries
Senators will continue to unveil various cost items throughout the tournament. For instance, billions have been allocated to the ATF for misclassifying bureau employees as law enforcement, a claim made by Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa. Furthermore, 690 thousand dollars was dedicated to a study focusing on cannabis usage among sexual-minority and gender-diverse individuals, as stated by Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri.
Senator Steve Daines from Montana is bringing attention to 12 million dollars spent on constructing a pickleball facility in Las Vegas. In a more controversial mention, Senator Mike Lee from Utah is linking 1.75 million dollars in funding to the Museum of Modern Art, which already possesses 5 billion dollars in assets.
Senator James Lankford from Oklahoma is noting the 2 billion dollars dispatched to the Taliban since the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. On the other hand, Senator Rick Scott from Florida highlighted a six-figure budget for setting up vegetable gardens in El Salvador, while Alabama’s Senator Katie Britt pointed out a 1.3 million dollar expenditure aimed at promoting equity and advocacy for transgender youth of color on Long Island.
Unique Perspectives in the Bracket
Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, often critical of federal spending, calls his entry the “liberal four corners.” This positioning includes a 100 thousand dollar grant from the EPA given to a teachers’ union foundation. This grant is intended to fund a 14-day Environmental Justice Freedom School that encompasses climate change, teachers’ unions, indoctrinating children, and the promotion of paid activism.
In another eyebrow-raising moment, Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee is spotlighting a staggering 22 billion dollar allocation from the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at providing housing and vehicles for illegal immigrants. Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas exemplifies wastefulness with 15 million dollars dedicated to gender transition procedures for U.S. service members.
Final Candidates in the Tournament
The concluding entry in the bracket focuses on 1.45 billion dollars in FEMA funds allocated for luxury accommodations for illegal immigrants. This critical expenditure has drawn attention from Senator James Risch from Idaho, who has actively worked to halt such spending through legislation intended to end FEMA benefits for illegal immigrants.
As this creative tournament highlighting government waste unfolds, the DOGE caucus indicates that it will also address various
