House DOGE Caucus Unveils Bills to Shrink Government

The House DOGE Caucus held a press conference this week, unveiling plans for cutting government waste and improving efficiency. Among the DOGE speakers were Texas Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R) and Pete Sessions (R), who unveiled new bills to shrink government and curb waste, fraud, and abuse.

South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman (R) also weighed in on the criticism Elon Musk has received in recent weeks. Rep. Norman, calling Musk an "example of the American Spirit," clarified that Musk is "not for cutting anything. He's for cutting waste, fraud, and abuse."

So far, the South Carolina lawmaker believes that Musk is doing "providential" work, adding that Republicans and Democrats are currently facing a "disconnect" when it comes to DOGE. "It's not their money, it's our money, it's the people's money," Rep. Norman clarified.

Reps. Van Duyne and Sessions similarly shared that the caucus is pushing for reforms to curb excessive spending and streamline federal agencies.

“We’ve gotta find ways of being able to get our government spending under control,” Rep. Van Duyne stated, citing past warnings from Presidents Bill Clinton (D) and Barack Obama (D) about the dangers of unchecked government growth.

To address the issue, Rep. Van Duyne has reintroduced the Government Offices Realignment and Closure (GORAC) Act, which would require a third-party audit of federal executive agencies every ten years. The audit would identify redundant, inefficient, and outdated programs, with findings reported to Congress for fast-tracked consideration.

“This bill will require a third-party audit to expose redundant, inefficient, wasteful, or outdated functions within federal executive agencies,” she explained. “This will establish a process for Congress to directly confront government bloat, corruption, and cowardice.”

Additionally, she has introduced the Reducing Expensive Departments and Unnecessary Civil Employees (REDUCE) Act, which would codify President Donald Trump’s (R) efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy. The bill mandates that for every four federal employees who leave, only one can be rehired, with exceptions for immigration, law enforcement, and public safety.

Rep. Sessions, the Co-Chair of the DOGE Caucus, also announced his Red Tape Act, co-sponsored by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R). The legislation seeks to eliminate unnecessary regulatory costs by ensuring that only economic expenses—not social or political factors—are considered when assessing the impact of federal regulations.

“Too many times, government brings in political or social reasons to justify costs rather than focusing on true economic costs,” he expressed.

The House DOGE Caucus believes that these legislative measures will help streamline government operations, eliminate wasteful spending, and promote fiscal responsibility.