Can an Old DOGE Still Adapt?
WASHINGTON ― For congressional Republicans, the saying that DOGE has aged like a dog seems fitting.
Last winter, their enthusiasm for cutting government expenses, sparked by a meme from the 2010s, was palpable among GOP members. They were particularly thrilled to have celebrity billionaire Elon Musk rallying their cause. In the House of Representatives, the formation of the DOGE caucus was akin to establishing a fan club, which also led to the creation of an official DOGE committee.
Fast forward eleven months, and the landscape has dramatically changed. The chair of the committee has stepped down, the ambitious goal of achieving $1 trillion in spending cuts remains a distant dream, public reception has been overwhelmingly negative, and Musk himself has distanced from the initiative, even expressing regret over its inception.
"Instead of focusing on DOGE, I should have concentrated on developing my companies," Musk revealed in a recent podcast interview.
Yet, despite these setbacks, Republicans on Capitol Hill are not ready to abandon the DOGE concept entirely. James Comer (R-Ky.), who chairs the House Oversight Committee and its newly formed Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee, indicated he plans to appoint a new chair following Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation set for early January.
"There remain individuals within the administration linked to DOGE," Comer mentioned in an interview with HuffPost. "They’re just not Musk, of course. There’s still ample ground to cover."
According to Comer, the subcommittee will delve into rescissions—spending cuts mandated by the executive branch that often stir debate. Notably, President Donald Trump successfully pushed through one rescission package back in 2025, but he also unilaterally slashed $5 billion in foreign aid via a controversial 'pocket rescission' that raised eyebrows even among some Republicans.
Under Greene's leadership, the subcommittee convened discussions about solidifying White House-led spending reductions. However, it also explored various other issues, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the potential risks associated with human attempts to manipulate the weather. Greene cautioned during a hearing in September that advocates of geoengineering seek to control the planet's climate to combat what she termed the "fake climate change hoax."
Although Greene had conflicts with Trump leading up to her resignation announcement, she opted not to comment on the future of DOGE in her absence.
Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), co-chair of the DOGE caucus, stated that the group would reconvene in January.
"He initiated a significant movement aimed at tackling waste, fraud, and abuse in government," Bean asserted to HuffPost. "We’re certainly not finished yet."
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), the first Democrat to join the DOGE Caucus back in February, declared in May that the group was no longer functional and had little to do with Musk's current endeavors. "DOGE was a total flop," Moskowitz expressed to Politico.
Within the administration, Musk's notable proposals included a brief mandate requiring government employees to send weekly emails detailing five accomplishments and a disorganized initiative aimed at addressing fictitious fraud at the Social Security Administration. He even suggested significantly diminishing the U.S. Agency for International Development, which he described as putting it "into the woodchipper." Atul Gawande, a Harvard Medical professor and former USAID official, estimated this reduction contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths globally.
At least one member of the president's inner circle voiced their dismay. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles candidly remarked in a December 16 interview with Vanity Fair, "No rational individual could consider the USAID process a good idea. No one."
The key figure behind the Trump administration's budget strategy and its eagerness to bypass Congress for spending cuts is Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, who remains influential.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a senior Democratic appropriator, criticized Musk and Trump for their apparent lack of understanding of governmental operations and the appropriations process.
"Russ Vought is malevolent," DeLauro asserted bluntly.
Initially, when Musk entered the political arena, several Democrats—including Moskowitz—were open to the DOGE concept and shared a common goal of enhancing government efficiency. However, as Musk intensified his critiques, particularly against Social Security, he quickly became one of the most unpopular figures in American politics.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), the leading Democrat on the DOGE subcommittee, expressed her bewilderment over why Republicans would persist in associating with this initiative, especially knowing that both the administration and its founder have turned their backs on it. "I’m astonished to learn that my colleagues wish to continue their affiliation with this endeavor, even in light of its apparent downfall," Stansbury commented.
