Conservative commentator George Will expressed doubt about the potential impact of the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), arguing his column has the same power as the advisory board led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“They are an advisory committee with no formal power. My column periodically advocates cutting certain items from the budget. My column has as much power as that committee is going to have,” Will, a longtime conservative columnist for The Washington Post, said during his Thursday appearance on NewsNation’s show "The Hill."
“Congress controls the purse strings,” Will, who is also a NewsNation senior political contributor, added.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy met with Republican lawmakers Thursday on Capitol Hill. Some who attended the meeting expressed doubt that the newly formed board will meet its goal of cutting $2 trillion in spending.
“Probably half of them in there are really excited, and the other half know reality,” Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said of those who attended.
“They’re gonna offer a lot of solutions that are gonna roll off the tongue real easy but look at the margins. They’re just not gonna have the horsepower,” said one GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak candidly, referencing the filibuster in the Senate and the narrow GOP majority in the lower chamber.
Others emphasized that Congress would need to act on the proposals, or it would end up being a “waste of time.”
“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,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said on Thursday.
Ramaswamy and Musk also met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will lead the Senate DOGE Caucus, while on the House side, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will chair a subcommittee similarly focused on governmental efficiency.
Some progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), have shown interest in working with DOGE leaders, particularly to reduce defense spending.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) stated he will be joining the Congressional Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus. Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman (D) said Tuesday he was interested in joining and would if asked.
Other House Democrats are not fans of the board.
“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.) said.
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