Senate highlights outrageous federal waste with DOGE Madness bracket

In the United States, the Senate DOGE Caucus has announced the introduction of the 2025 DOGE Madness Tournament of Waste Bracket, aiming to bring attention to wasteful federal spending. This initiative, led by Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was released on March 23, 2025, and invites the public to vote on the craziest items of federal waste through a bracket-style tournament similar to the NCAA March Madness. Each member of the DOGE Caucus has selected priority waste items to compete in the bracket, revealing expenditures that raise eyebrows and spark debate among taxpayers. Some examples of the waste showcased include a $4.5 million appropriation for combating disinformation in Kazakhstan, a $7.9 million expenditure for teaching journalists in Sri Lanka to avoid binary-gendered language, and a $45 million program aimed at promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarships for Burmese citizens. As the tournament progresses, additional focus will be placed on potential cuts to federal spending and the importance of prioritizing taxpayer dollars. In conjunction with the tournament, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced a partnership with the DOGE Caucus to review the budget of the Department of Defense, which has struggled with waste and mismanagement. The DOD has failed its last seven audits, and the collaboration with DOGE intends to address these issues by identifying areas of wasteful expenditures within national defense spending. Hegseth plans to implement a budget cut of approximately 8%, equivalent to $50 billion, to redirect funds toward improving military effectiveness. Overall, the DOGE Madness initiative seeks to increase government transparency, eliminate frivolous expenditures, and promote efficient use of taxpayer money for the betterment of American citizens. With significant amounts of federal dollars categorized as wasteful or unnecessary, efforts from the DOGE Caucus and Hegseth’s leadership represent a critical step toward reining in wild spending and ensuring governmental resources are used effectively to serve the American public.