U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) on Thursday expressed doubt that Congress would have “the guts” to enact the cuts and reforms recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a commission announced by President-elect Donald Trump that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will helm.
Burchett voiced concern about his colleagues in a video posted to the social media platform X on Thursday, which the Tennessee Republican said he recorded after leaving the first meeting between Musk, Ramaswamy, and Congress.
“Just leaving the DOGE meeting with Elon and Vivek Ramaswamy,” said Burchett. “The key to the whole thing is in that room. If Congress doesn’t have the guts to do those things they’re talking real big about, it’s just going to be a waste of time.”
While Musk has suggested DOGE will reduce federal spending by $2 trillion over two years, Burchett said the proposals will mostly be limited to suggestions that Trump rescind executive orders if Congress ignores Ramaswamy and Musk’s suggestions.
DOGE will “do away with executive orders and unelected bureaucrats who put rules and regulations on us,” should they determine “Congress doesn’t have the guts,” Burchett explained.
“I vote against a lot of stuff. There will be 15 or so red dots on the board, which means we voted against horrible spending, and there will be about 400 green lights on the board, and that’s going to be the problem,” said Burchett.
Just left the @DOGE meeting with @elonmusk and @VivekGRamaswamy and it’s clear to me that the problem is going to be the members in that room.
Cameo by @chiproytx pic.twitter.com/pEzNbAPhCF
— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) December 5, 2024
Burchett then approached Representative Chip Roy (R-TX-21), who agreed with the Tennessean’s analysis.
“Our friends Elon and Vivek can do a good job exposing it but then we’ve got to actually do our jobs,” said Roy. “I hope they do it, then we’ll have to hold our colleagues accountable.”
The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway later reported, in a post to X, that Roy voiced his concern to colleagues before the DOGE meeting concluded.
Hemingway wrote, “At the end, [Roy], apparently got up and told everyone that it sounded great but that it was time to be honest with themselves. That two-thirds of the room, including many of the speakers, had voted for all the omnibuses and CRs and supplementals that created the completely out of control bureaucracy that is harming the country.”
The congressman reportedly urged Congress to “collectively acknowledge the problem and agree they were not going to do that kind of thing any more.”
Despite the concern about Congress’ willingness to enact spending cuts, DOGE has already received tepid support from Democrats. Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) agreed to join the House caucus created to interface with the commission earlier this week.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Burchett” by Tim Burchett.
Alright, Tim… let the cutting begin! Start with the House of Representative’s Office of the Attending Physician. There’s no need for a special doctor’s office just for Congress. Cut it. Got the “guts”???