Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania General Assembly are proposing the creation of a new agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Government Efficiency (PA DOGE), to root out waste and enforce greater fiscal accountability across state agencies. Led by Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Cranberry Twp.) and Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Chambersburg), the effort seeks to bring serious reforms to how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Earlier this year, Scialabba announced plans for legislation directing the Auditor General to conduct efficiency audits of major Commonwealth programs. In a memo seeking co-sponsors, she emphasized that while the federal government has made gains in cutting waste, it is “past time for Pennsylvania to turn our own focus to state government bloat and waste.”
Mastriano’s broader proposal would create both the PA DOGE and a bipartisan oversight committee. The committee would include members from both legislative chambers, leadership from each party, officials from the Treasury and Auditor General’s Offices, and two citizen representatives to ensure community voices are heard. The department would wield broad auditing powers, including the authority to suspend payments and recommend eliminating wasteful agencies or programs.
Upon a final committee vote, any suspended payments would immediately return to the General Fund, reinforcing the legislature’s oversight of government spending. The PA DOGE would report directly to the legislature, ensuring elected officials retain control over the state’s purse strings.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity voiced her support for the efforts, noting her office already reviews transactions for 70 state agencies and stopped over $1.7 billion in improper payments last fiscal year. Since 2020, Garrity said the Treasury has flagged nearly $2 billion annually in mistakes, although the final taxpayer savings amount to about $50 million each year after corrections.
“We’ve been doing DOGE before DOGE was considered cool,” Garrity said. She added that under Mastriano’s plan, the DOGE Board could recommend suspending agency payments, with the State Treasurer casting the deciding vote in any committee tie.
Garrity suggested that the Department of Human Services would be an ideal starting point for audits, particularly in reviewing eligibility for cash assistance and Medicaid programs. She expressed strong support for the effort, stating, “We have a responsibility to make sure we’re using taxpayer dollars correctly and wisely, and I think taxpayers expect that of us.”
Scialabba declined to comment, and Mastriano’s office did not respond before publication.
