ON FOX FIRST: During the second Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus meeting, Chairman Joni Ernst, R-Iowaled discussions on how to most effectively and quickly begin reducing waste in government.
The new 18-member caucus met Thursday morning and discussed a strategy for avoiding some of the pitfalls that other similar efforts have encountered.
“The Senate DOGE Caucus will begin shrinking government on day one of the Trump administration,” Ernst told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Biden’s bloat has created a target-rich environment to find ways to eliminate waste and hold the bureaucracy accountable to the people. Now is the time for results, and after today I am confident we have plans in place to act. arm in Congress to help taxpayers.”
OHIO GOV DEWINE CHOOSE LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE’S VICE PRESIDENT
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chairs the DOGE caucus. (Reuters)
For years, Ernst has inventoried government waste, giving the caucus a list of places where they can eliminate excess bureaucracy and make government function more efficiently.
Some specific goals for the caucus include federal telework, IRS agents with unpaid taxes and US funding going to foreign labs with little accountability.
Caucus members have mapped out how to address these issues in a way that ensures they can get “multiple bites at the apple,” Ernst’s office said.
DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE SENATE AFTER RUBIO’S EXPECTED RESIGNATIONS
Ernst checked the IRS himself. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
To do this, Republican members plan to use tools such as the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which can be used to overturn implemented regulations. by federal agenciesand budget reconciliation.
The budget reconciliation process is already expected to be an important tool for Republican tax and immigration policy goals, and the party has further indicated that it could pass two reconciliation bills this year. One senator even suggested they could introduce three such bills during the 119th Congress.
The advantage of passing legislation through budget reconciliation is that it requires a simple majority and is not subject to the 60-vote threshold of the legislative filibuster. The CRA is also not beholden to the filibuster.
CONFIRMATION DELAYS STEPPING UP FOR TRUMP NOMININES AS PAPERWORK SLOWS DOWN IN FEDERAL OFFICES
Republicans plan to hit the ground running with their new majorities. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The caucus also plans to work with the president-elect Trump on executive orders targeting government waste.
The 18 members of the caucus serve on a number of different Senate committees, giving them a good idea of where most of the waste is happening.
President-elect Trump tapped Elon Musk (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (right) to lead DOGE. (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Last year, Ernst took the opportunity to lay out a plan that would save $2 trillion on what she believes is waste. In it, she recommends, among other things, selling vacant government buildings, conducting audits of the IRS and firing agents who owe taxes, and scrapping apparently arbitrary or “silly” investigations conducted by the government.
DOGE was previously announced by Trump, who tapped billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the new advisory board aimed at reducing government waste.
