Fox's first appearance: At the Second Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, Chairwoman Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led a discussion on how to most effectively and quickly begin reducing waste across government.
A new 18-member caucus convened Thursday morning to strategize on how to avoid some of the pitfalls encountered by other similar efforts.
“The Senate DOGE caucus has been in full swing to reduce government since day one of the Trump administration,” Ernst told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Biden's bloat has created a goal-rich environment to eliminate waste and find ways to hold the bureaucracy accountable to the people. Now is the time for results, and from today onwards, I am confident that we have a plan in place that will work as an action.'' Arms up Congress to serve taxpayers. ”
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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is the chair of the DOGE caucus. (Reuters)
Mr. Ernst has been taking inventory of government waste for years, which gives the caucus a list of places to eliminate excessive bureaucracy and make government operations more efficient. Ta.
The caucus' specific targets include federal telecommuting, IRS employees who are behind on their taxes, and U.S. money flowing to foreign research labs with little accountability.
According to Ernst's office, caucus members planned how to address these items in a way that would ensure “multiple bites at the apple.”
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Ernst audited the IRS himself. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
To do so, Republican lawmakers plan to use tools such as the Congressional Review Act (CRA) and budget reconciliation, which can be used to overturn rules enacted by federal agencies.
The budget reconciliation process is already expected to be a key vehicle for Republicans' tax and immigration policy goals, and the party has indicated it may pass two more reconciliation bills this year. One senator even suggested that three such bills could be introduced 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 standard of a legislative filibuster. The CRA is similarly not subject to the filibuster.
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The caucus also plans to work with President-elect Trump on executive orders aimed at government waste.
The caucus's 18 members serve on various Senate committees, giving them a comprehensive idea of where the most waste is.
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President-elect Trump has nominated Elon Musk (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (right) to lead DOGE. (Getty Images)
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Last year, Ernst used the opportunity to lay out a plan to cut $2 trillion in what she claims is waste. In it, she recommended selling off empty government buildings, auditing the IRS and firing its tax-paying employees, and eliminating seemingly random or “ridiculous” investigations conducted by the government. I am doing it.
DOGE was previously announced by President Trump, who named billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new advisory board aimed at reducing government waste.
