Following midterm election gains, some Democrats are signaling an interest in investigating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative previously led by Elon Musk. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., indicated that he is "pretty certain" a congressional committee will scrutinize DOGE, which he characterized as "a catastrophe for America."
Musk established DOGE at the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term with the stated goal of identifying and eliminating waste within the federal government and increasing transparency in its spending. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), DOGE's efforts contributed to a reduction in the federal workforce by approximately 250,000 employees in 2025, through measures such as deferred resignations and buyouts.
Concerns have also been raised regarding DOGE's alleged access to sensitive personal information of Americans. "The whole thing was premised on a lie, and our private information was completely compromised by it," Raskin stated.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, while acknowledging that DOGE warrants an investigation, expressed reservations about focusing solely on Musk. "I don't know about focusing on one person," Pritzker told Fox News Digital when asked about investigating Musk, though he agreed that "there should be a lot of inspection of what DOGE did." He described the department's actions as "pretty awful."
Democratic lawmakers have also indicated a potential interest in examining Musk's companies' federal contracts and his role in restricting internet access for the Ukrainian military.
With Democrats securing a majority in both chambers of Congress following the midterms, there is a stated intention to utilize investigative committees and subpoena powers to examine Musk, the Trump administration, and related matters. Some have also discussed impeachment proceedings against former President Trump.