In a major step toward restoring fiscal accountability, members of the House and Senate DOGE Caucuses have introduced the “Delivering On Government Efficiency in Spending Act” — a sweeping reform effort designed to crack down on the $162 billion in improper federal payments reported last year.
Championed by Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Aaron Bean, the bill takes direct aim at waste, fraud, and bureaucratic failure, building upon the success of the Trump-era Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With strong backing from President Trump and former DOGE Director Elon Musk, the legislation represents a cornerstone of the conservative push to streamline government and protect taxpayer dollars.
At the heart of the bill is a demand for transparency and accountability. It mandates that every Treasury payment include a clear description of its purpose and origin. Agencies will be required to cross-check payment recipients against multiple databases before releasing any funds — including employment records, Social Security, IRS data, and even private credit agency information.
The legislation also empowers the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system to flag fraudulent or ineligible recipients in real-time, helping to prevent notorious errors like payments to dead individuals or duplicate unemployment claims. One major reform includes eliminating the siloed, outdated data systems — a problem Musk frequently called “stovepiping” — that allow fraud to slip through the cracks.
Importantly, the bill codifies many of President Trump’s executive orders into permanent law, ensuring future administrations can’t roll back these anti-fraud safeguards without congressional oversight.
“This isn’t just a cost-cutting measure — it’s about restoring trust in government,” said a source familiar with the legislation. “We’re building a system that finally checks if someone is actually eligible before the government hands over money. It’s common sense.”
The DOGE in Spending Act arrives at a time when Americans are increasingly frustrated by bloated federal budgets and rampant misuse of funds. By giving agencies the tools to verify identity, employment status, and even income prior to disbursing payments, lawmakers hope to recover billions in taxpayer losses — and prevent future abuse.
With bipartisan interest already building, the legislation could become one of the most significant anti-waste reforms in recent memory. As one DOGE Caucus member put it: “This is what responsible governance looks like. We’re done funding fraud.”