Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Congress has a responsibility to review, monitor, supervise, and evaluate the actions of the executive branch to provide effective oversight as a co-equal branch of Government. (2) The authority of the Congress to provide oversight and obtain information from the executive branch is firmly established and essential to its legislative function derived from Article I of the Constitution. (3) The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 established that “each standing committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall exercise continuous watchfulness of the execution by the administrative agencies concerned of any laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of such committee; and, for that purpose, shall study all pertinent reports and data submitted to the Congress by the agencies in the executive branch of the Government.” (4) On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to reorganize the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service and directs DOGE to “implement the President’s DOGE Agenda, by monitoring Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” (5) DOGE has pushed for large-scale reductions in force and office closures (often arbitrarily and capriciously), which will have a significant adverse impact on the ability of agencies to serve citizens of the United States. (6) Reductions in Force (RIFs) and scaling back, or completely eliminating programs at Federal agencies should be based on real and transparent analysis and formal, deliberate program evaluation, not for the purposes of pursuing personal vendettas or yielding personal financial gain for well-connected individuals. (7) The illogical and erratic, chainsaw approach of DOGE has sown confusion and chaos for employees at Federal agencies and the citizens of the United States alike. (8) The citizens of the United States expect and deserve ongoing transparency of the actions of the Federal Government, particularly when their personal, private data is concerned.