Tarrant GOP Chair Welcomes Lone Star DOGE Committee

Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French (R) has shared strong support for the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Committee in Texas, praising its potential to root out wasteful government spending. The committee, chaired by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R), also includes Texas Representatives Tony Tinderholt (R), David Cook (R), and Mike Olcott (R).

Chair French, a vocal advocate for fiscal responsibility, took to X to express his enthusiasm for the committee’s oversight powers and to preview some of his findings on government spending.

“I plan to work extensively with the committee to help save taxpayer dollars and increase government efficiency. I've already begun digging into government waste and will be releasing everything I find to the public in addition to working with the committee to help eliminate it,” Chair French wrote on social media.

He highlighted the committee’s broad authority, which includes the power to compel state agency staff to testify in public hearings and to produce records for investigation. He also emphasized that such measures are crucial for exposing questionable expenditures and ensuring transparency in state contracts.

Finally, he provided a “teaser” of wasteful spending he claims to have uncovered, which includes taxpayer-funded subscriptions to the Texas Tribune, similar to how the federal government previously spent money on Politico before DOGE exposed it; over $2 million annually spent on “plants” by state agencies; and a staggering $8 million per year allocated for magazine subscriptions.

“There is so much more to expose, so I won't even mention the foreign travel or long-distance phone call charges yet!” he concluded.

The Republican chair argued that eliminating unnecessary expenditures could save over $1 billion annually but stressed that swift action is needed before the State Budget passes the House.

The DOGE Committee’s formation marks a significant step in the Texas Legislature’s push for increased oversight and budgetary discipline, and it also marks a rare instance of praise that the recent committee assignments have received. Most of the criticism has come from Republicans who argue that Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows (R) has emboldened Democrats.