Overview

• Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced a whistleblower portal to collect information from public and private employees about alleged waste, fraud, and abuse tied to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• The portal is part of Senate Democrats' efforts to challenge President Trump's actions to downsize federal agencies, including his recent executive order to terminate the Department of Education.
• President Trump's push to eliminate the Department of Education, which has a $268 billion budget, has drawn criticism from Democrats, who view it as an overreach of executive authority.
• The Department of Government Efficiency, a key player in Trump's federal restructuring plans, is overseen by Elon Musk, a close advisor to the president.
• This new portal builds on a similar initiative launched in February by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Gary Peters to report abuses under the Trump administration.