Iowa's DOGE Madness highlights federal spending waste competition

Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa is set to unveil the 2025 DOGE Madness Tournament of Waste Bracket on Friday. This event will highlight extravagant federal spending and allow the public to vote on which items should be cut. The tournament will treat wasteful spending like a sports bracket. Public polling will decide which items move on to the next rounds, concluding with a final championship. Ernst emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in government spending. The bracket will include various waste items nominated by different senators. Some examples are a $4.5 million project to combat misinformation in Kazakhstan and a $168,000 exhibit about Anthony Fauci at the NIH Museum. Other notable items include $12 million for a pickleball facility in Las Vegas and $2 billion sent to the Taliban since the last U.S. withdrawal. In addition to the tournament, the DOGE Caucus will also identify priority areas for addressing government inefficiencies this year. These areas include procurement reform and improving transparency. The caucus aims to reduce waste and better serve the American people.