Congress scrambling to keep up with Department of Government Efficiency

WASHINGTON — Shortly after President Donald Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, Republicans in Congress acted swiftly to establish the DOGE caucus to work in tandem with the administration.

But so far, the lightning speed with which Musk is operating has left many lawmakers scrambling to keep up with the pace.

Since Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 to establish the department, Musk has been moving a mile a minute to cut down on wasteful spending and eliminate what the president views as unnecessary programs. As part of those efforts, Musk has encouraged a vast array of federal workers to resign, laid the groundwork to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, and has been given access to the Treasury's payment system.

The congressional caucus was initially created to assist Musk in implementing those efforts, as well as other core tenets of Trump's agenda. However, even as the caucus reportedly grows to more than 100 members, leaders acknowledge the fast pace has made things more difficult for lawmakers to keep up.

"We're learning stuff is being rolled out rather rapidly, there's a lot of breaking news every day," Rep. Pete Sessions, one of the co-chairs of the DOGE Caucus, told the Deseret News. "We're trying to get our hands around that and we will then engage in the part of a congressional DOGE very quickly."

The caucus has held several internal meetings since its creation, including one last month that organized members into working groups that can be used to advance special interests.

"We are allowing members to lead on the issues that they would want to lead on," Sessions said.

Pace of Trump administration leaves DOGE Caucus in 'watching' mode

The congressional caucus itself has gotten somewhat of a slow start, according to some members in the group, especially due to the fast pace of Musk and the Trump administration.

That pace, Sessions acknowledged, has put the DOGE caucus in "a position of watching before we're moving."

But now that the House is starting to make progress on its massive budget reconciliation bill, Sessions said that gives the caucus a blueprint to begin crafting policies and legislation.

"We still have much left to do that is policy-oriented and that's what we're trying to focus on after we look at dollars," Sessions said. "Now that the budget numbers are out, we have an idea of the impact on not just organizations but the ability we have."

Democrats accuse Musk of usurping role of Congress

The DOGE Caucus began as somewhat of a bipartisan effort. But Democrats in the group have begun voicing complaints about the lack of oversight of Musk's decisions — and an apparent absence of communication from the Trump administration.

Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, one of the first Democrats to join the caucus, told CNN earlier this week there didn't appear to be "any communication between what Elon is doing and the caucus."

"It seems that Congress is behind and being left out, considering this is our function," Moskowitz told the outlet. "We've had meetings. It's been bipartisan. We've had good discussions, but it doesn't seem like the caucus is included on what DOGE is finding."

Moskowitz said the original pitch of the DOGE Caucus was to receive recommendations from Musk, leaving it up to Congress to act on his findings. However, Musk has made a flurry of decisions in recent weeks, prompting Democrats to accuse the billionaire of acting as an unelected bureaucrat running amok with Americans' personal information.

That characterization even led one Democrat to leave the caucus altogether.

Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., announced her departure last week, claiming the group was not taking seriously the work to cut down on wasteful spending.

"It is impossible for us to do that important work when unelected billionaire Elon Musk and his lackeys are set on burning down the government — and the law — to line his own pockets and rip off Americans across the country who depend on government services to live with dignity," Hoyle said in a statement.

Republicans working to strengthen communication

Sessions acknowledged concerns from his Democratic counterparts, particularly those outside the caucus who in recent weeks have used Musk's new position to cry wolf and paint the multi-billionaire as a danger to democracy.

Overall, the Texas Republican said the caucus is in "strong agreement" with DOGE and has been pushing the government commission "for more data and information" as things move forward. That push, Sessions said, led to Musk's press conference with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this week to answer questions about DOGE's recent actions.

By doing that, Sessions contended, the Department of Government Efficiency and the congressional caucus can ensure its actions are "pitched in a way that the American people understand it."

"We would like to be able to tout the advantages, and yet if we're not completely always aware of what's next, we're not sure," Sessions said. "So, yes, we are aware. Yes, we are attempting not just to be on the same page but I think if you go look at their website, their website many times does offer clear explanations. And sometimes they are not as clear. So it leads people to read between the lines and I think that's less effective."

In the meantime, DOGE will be working over the next several weeks with appropriators on the March 14 budget as well as with committee members who are crafting the House's massive budget reconciliation bill, Sessions said.

After that, the caucus is expected to issue a report in the coming weeks analyzing topline spending numbers and related legislation to enhance government efficiency.

"Stay tuned," Sessions said.

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