Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) mentioned the proposed “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) can be a “waste of time” until Congress acts on the “things that they’re talking real big about.”
“The key to the whole thing is in that room. If Congress doesn’t have the guts to do those things that they’re talking real big about. It’s just gonna — it’s just a waste of time,” Burchett mentioned in a video posted Thursday on the social platform X.
“They’ll do away with executive orders and unelected bureaucrats who put rules and regulations on us. If Congress doesn’t have the guts. And that’s what scares me,” the Tennessee Republican added after leaving the Thursday assembly Home lawmakers had with DOGE co-leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on Capitol Hill.
Throughout the Thursday session with Republican lawmakers in Congress, the 2 tech entrepreneurs didn’t have a transparent reply for a way possible it might be to chop $2 trillion in spending, in line with a GOP member.
Some alluded to the tight majority that Republicans have within the decrease chamber and with the filibuster within the Senate.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) characterised the huddle as a “listening session.”
“Probably half of them in there are really excited, and the other half know reality,” Miller mentioned, referencing those that attended.
“It’s just ‘getting to know you’ and trying to understand the full scope of what they’re going to propose, how much would be done by executive action,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the Home Appropriations Committee, advised The Hill. “It’s a very preliminary discussion.”
Musk and Ramaswamy additionally met with just lately elected Senate Republican Chief John Thune (S.D.) and Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), with whom they mentioned methods to reduce on spending.
“I vote against a lot of stuff. There’ll be 15 or so red dots on the board, which means we voted against horrible spending,” Burchett mentioned. “And there’ll be about 400 green lights on the board, and that’s going to be the problem.”
Some Democrats have expressed curiosity in working with the initiative’s leaders and their concepts.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) counseled Musk as a “very smart guy,” including that “we need a strong military, but we don’t need all the waste and profiteering and the fraud that exists in the Pentagon right now.”
One other progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), mentioned on X that he’s “ready to work” with DOGE, significantly “to slash waste,” referencing protection spending.
Democratic Reps. Greg Landsman (Ohio) and Jared Moskowitz (Fla.), mentioned they may be part of the Congressional Delivering Excellent Authorities Effectivity Caucus.
Not all Democrats are offered on DOGE, which was created to “slash wasteful spending.”
“You know, they haven’t asked to meet with me, but the impoundment of funds that have been appropriated by the Congress is unconstitutional and illegal,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) mentioned Thursday on CNN.
“There is no such ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’ It’s made up. So good luck to ’em,” she mentioned.
