Coming Up: Marjorie Taylor Greene's Warning to GOP Members – Dodge the DOGE Cuts or Face the Music
Conservative allies of Trump issue critical warning to Congress regarding potential $9.4B budget reduction plan
Congress is taking steps to solidify billions in DOGE cuts, as per experts like Elon Musk, and things are heating up among lawmakers. Here's the lowdown on how this unfolds and who's involved.
Republican allies of the White House are using this vote on Trump's eyes-on-$9.4-billion spending reduction plan as a litmus test for Congress's capacity to shrink federal spending.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) shed some light on the situation, stating, "This is going to demonstrate whether Congress has the balls to do what they always claim they'll do – cut the frivolous $9 billion on pet projects like NPR, PBS, and foreign aid, or will they cave to their local politics?"
Friday saw House GOP leaders revealing legislation to put Trump's request for rescissions – a reductions package – into law. The final vote in the House will take place sometime next week.
Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader (R-La.), explained, "The rescission request dispatched by the Trump Administration whips the federal government in a new direction, where we actually trim the fat, eradicate corruption, and hold agencies accountable to the American people."
The plan includes clawing back funds that Congress previously allocated to PBS, NPR, and USAID – cuts initially proposed by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Some politicians are already looking at this move as a test case for future spending cuts, with Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) confirming, "You're right on the money. This spending cuts package is a test case – if we can't execute these cuts, then we're a bunch of talkers, nothing more."
A rescissions package only requires simple majorities in both the House and Senate to pass. But, with both chambers showing razor-thin majorities, even a few defections could jeopardize the cuts. Additionally, the clock is ticking, as a rescissions package has 45 days to get Congress's attention, or it will be considered defunct, and the funding reinstated.
Paul Winfree, the president and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), explained last week, "This initial spending cuts package from President Trump is a test to see if Congress possesses the power to eliminate outrageous spending through a Senate filibuster-proof process."
Both Chip Roy and Ralph Norman hinted at the potential use of a strategy called "pocket rescissions." This method would essentially allow the White House to present a spending reduction proposal less than 45 days before the end of the financial year (Sept. 30) – letting the funds expire automatically if Congress doesn't take action.
Elizabeth Elkind, a politics reporter for Digital, is keeping tabs on this story. Reach her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send her a tip at [email protected].
[ Reference 1: Sources reveal Elon Musk's influence in DOGE cuts https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/03/elon-musk-calls-for-1-trillion-in-us-government-cuts-reuters.html ]
[ Reference 2: Analysis: House Republicans embrace spending cuts as a political prelude https://www.axios.com/house-gop-spending-cuts-debate-b742e7be-e30a-4e3b-901a-408fd433a438.html]
[ Reference 3: Trump's spending cuts plan on the chopping block https://thehill.com/policy/finance/428464-trumps-spending-cuts-plan-on-chopping-block ]
[ Reference 4: Musk Teams Up with House Conservatives to Dismantle "Wasteful" Government Programs https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2023/06/03/musk-teams-up-with-house-conservatives-to-dismantle-wasteful-government-programs/ ]
[ Reference 5: Senate Democrats Are Gearing Up for a Brawl Over Trump's Spending Cuts https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/05/senate-democrats-spending-cuts-492122 ]
- The spending reduction plan proposed by President Trump, which includes cuts to PBS, NPR, and USAID, has been influenced by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, otherwise known as DOGE.
- The current debate over spending cuts in the House of Representatives is also being influenced by Elon Musk, as his calls for $1 trillion in US government cuts have gained attention in political circles.
- The potential use of a strategy called "pocket rescissions" has been hinted at by Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. Ralph Norman, where the White House could present a spending reduction proposal less than 45 days before the end of the financial year, allowing funds to expire automatically if Congress doesn't act, a tactic possibly inspired by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.
