Speaker Mike Johnson committed to a number of new steps aimed at reining in the size and scope of the federal government as he seeks to round up the votes to retain his gavel.
In a post on the social media site X just minutes before a speakership vote is set to begin, Johnson said he’d create “a working group comprised of independent experts” to work with the so-called Department Of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy; review existing audits of federal agencies and instruct House committees to “undertake aggressive authorizations and appropriations reviews.”
“I will lead the House Republicans to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and move the United States to a more sustainable fiscal trajectory,” Johnson said in his post.
That message comes as the Louisiana Republican seeks to tamp down GOP defections and retain his speakership. Musk and Ramaswamy have vowed to slash trillions in government spending as part of their nascent initiative.
