Republican glee over Musk and DOGE is a smoke screen for failed budget policy | Opinion
President Donald Trump and the GOP spent much of his speech to Congress singing the praises of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. The applause from Congress makes sense.
President Donald Trump and the GOP spent much of his speech to Congress last week singing the praises of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. The applause from Congress makes sense. Because while Musk isn't saving taxpayers much money, he is saving our elected leaders from doing their jobs.
I like the idea of DOGE in theory, but theory is quite different from reality. Originally, DOGE was pitched as an advisory council that would recommend spending cuts to Congress, and lawmakers would then actually cut spending within their powers.
The reality is that the commission functions with Musk having full authority to run around flipping switches without making any significant impact on the budget deficit.
But much as the Republican Party wants to claim that Musk is saving the country, DOGE is not the vessel through which America will balance a budget. Congress is – even if its members don't seem to know that yet.
Republicans cheer minor DOGE cuts while they worsen the deficit
The real beauty of DOGE for congressional Republicans is that they can take credit for “cutting spending” while Congress worsens America’s finances at the same time.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has suggested that DOGE present Congress with a $500 billion spending rescission package. That would require Musk and his advisers to follow the proper blueprint, proposing spending cuts that Congress then reviews and passes.
Such a process could be quite helpful for Congress and only requires a majority to pass in a way that cannot be filibustered.
Instead, congressional Republicans seem inclined to keep taking credit for DOGE’s spending cuts without actually putting in any effort to curb spending themselves. The House actually just passed a budget resolution that, despite $2 trillion in spending cuts, increases the budget deficit by as much as $3 trillion over the next decade.
Meanwhile, DOGE claims that $105 billion has been saved so far, but only $8.8 billion accounted for through its “wall of receipts.”
Outside reviews claim the savings is as little as just $2.5 billion.
Even if the DOGE topline number is to be taken at face value, $105 billion marks just 5.7% of 2024’s $1.83 trillion budget deficit.
The cuts from DOGE won’t come anywhere close to compensating for the decreases in revenue that come as a result of the renewal of Trump’s tax cuts, the key motivation for the GOP spending packages structure. If the Senate passes the budget resolution, which has Trump’s approval, Republicans will have increased the deficit despite the aggressive cuts from Musk.
Still, the GOP loves these cuts because they grab headlines and distract voters.
The United States spends money on ridiculous things, and those programs should be cut. But Congress cannot pretend that Musk is going to balance the budget himself, especially when lawmakers are making the problem worse.
Republicans love DOGE because they don't have to do their job
As much as Trump claims he wants to balance the budget, no serious attempt to do so has even begun. Republicans will continue to take credit for Musk slashing spending on admittedly ridiculous but relatively small dollar projects.
All the while, the reality is that Congress stands by idly at times, and at other times makes the federal deficit even worse.
The typical voter doesn’t actually care about runaway spending, so long as it's on programs they approve of. This is why you only hear Republican voters complain about spending when the GOP is not in power or as a justification for spending cuts when Republicans are in power.
The GOP isn’t interested in bettering America’s finances. Republican leaders are only interested in claiming that they’re doing so, and DOGE gives Congress an excuse to continue slacking off.
Republicans can pat themselves on the back as much as they want, but it's all smoke and mirrors. Congress is doing nothing to solve the problem of the budget deficit. In fact, they’re making it worse.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.