DOGE Subcommittee report: Improper payments cost federal agencies $236B in 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee, chaired by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene released it first report on Wednesday. 

The subcommittee released its first review and recommendations outlining key steps to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending.

The backstory:

The DOGE Subcommittee, a part of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was established to address the pressing issue of waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending. Chaired by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the subcommittee aims to implement recommendations in near real-time, rather than waiting until the end of each Congress. Greene emphasized, "My mandate is simple: work as the name D.O.G.E. demands—swiftly, effectively, and with purpose."

Timeline:

The subcommittee held its inaugural meeting on February 12, 2025, with a hearing titled "The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud." This meeting marked the beginning of a series of actions aimed at combating financial inefficiencies within federal programs, particularly focusing on entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Why you should care:

Federal agencies reported $236 billion in improper payments in 2023, contributing to a staggering $2.7 trillion loss since fiscal year 2003. The Government Accountability Office estimates that fraud-related losses range from $233 billion to $521 billion annually. Expert witnesses, including Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Dawn Royal, Director of the United Council on Welfare Fraud, highlighted critical areas of concern and proposed solutions. These include funding real-time verification technology, amending privacy laws to enhance data sharing, and mandating external verification of eligibility claims.

By the numbers:

LexisNexis projects significant cost savings from the proposed reforms:

• Asset testing for all Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants could save $120–$236 billion annually.
• Expanding asset testing to all Medicaid recipients could save $30–$100 billion annually.
• Ending broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) could save $8.1 billion annually.
• Repealing the Medicaid Streamlining Rule could save $164 billion over ten years.

What's next:

The subcommittee has pledged continued oversight and swift action on waste reduction efforts. Legislative efforts in alignment with these goals include the Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act of 2023, sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), and the PPP Shell Discovery Act (H.R. 324), introduced by Rep. William Timmons (R-SC). Elon Musk, a proponent of improved fiscal management, stressed the importance of better utilization of Treasury Department databases to prevent payments to ineligible recipients. As the D.O.G.E. Subcommittee moves forward, Greene reiterated the committee's commitment to fixing inefficiencies in Washington, stating, "Washington is broken, but the D.O.G.E. Committee is committed to fixing it."