On Capitol Hill, little fear of DOGE backlash

Matthew Green, professor of political science at the Catholic University of America, says that when one political party gains control over the White House and Congress, that party inevitably overextends its power. In 2008, Barack Obama won his first term as president, and Democrats controlled Congress. Their policies invigorated the conservative tea party movement, which led to Republicans gaining over 60 seats in the House in 2010. Green thinks it’s only a matter of time before a similar, Democratic resurgence in response to Republican power.

“They are going to make a mistake,” Green said of Republicans just days before Trump’s inauguration. “It happens so often in history for something to set off a kind of grassroots opposition and then gives [the opposition] something to latch on to.”

But if Republicans in the House are worried about a blue wave washing them out of power in two years, they aren’t letting it show. As President Donald Trump and Elon Musk make dramatic changes to how the government spends funds, House Republicans are cheering them on.

“In my opinion, he can’t go far enough,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., when asked about Musk’s recommended cuts to programs such as the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Education. “This is what people voted for.”

While Democrats have zeroed in on Musk as the main antagonist in the early days of the Trump administration, House Republicans told WORLD that efforts by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are headed in the right direction. That’s despite polls suggesting that the public isn’t so sure about Musk’s role.

A YouGov and Economist poll released last week found that 38% of Americans approve of the billionaire’s work in the administration compared to 47% of respondents who said they disapproved—with 41% saying they “strongly disapproved.”

Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, the body charged with crafting taxation legislation, and is chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. He also comes from a highly competitive district in Arizona, where he won his most recent election by a 3.8% margin. I asked him if Musk’s role in the government is a political liability for competitive seats like his.

He doesn’t think so.

“I’ve been trying to get an audit of the Pentagon using AI,” Schweikert said. “They just failed their what—their eighth audit? So, you see the panic that these government employees are having that there’s actually now competence that’s actually capable to go find: Are there bad acts out there? Inefficiencies?”

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., the ranking member on the House Oversight subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, believes a conflict between Congress and Musk might erupt soon as Republicans try to pass a budget bill that would enact some of Trump’s signature policies.

According to newly released budget proposals, Republicans want to add $4.5 trillion in spending between 2025 and 2034 to enact Trump’s border plans and other domestic priorities.

“In a few short weeks, they’re going to have to get a budget across the finish line, keep the government from shutting down, and get a reconciliation deal,” Stansbury said, referring to the party-line bill Republicans hope to pass. “We have heard many Republicans are concerned that Elon Musk’s dismantling of the government is going to actually hamper their ability to pass their legislative agenda.”

Other Democrats believe that Musk’s rapid cuts might cost Republicans political leverage, but that does not necessarily translate to Democratic gains.

“They’re not well thought [out],” Rep. George Lattimer, D-N.Y., said of Trump’s early efforts. “It’s a sign they’re scratching every itch they’ve had for years. The long-term Republicans who are here must be feeling some discomfiture in all this. But it’s not clear to me that Democrats automatically benefit.”

For the Republicans I talked to, that’s not a concern. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, acknowledged Musk’s efforts could come at a cost, but not necessarily a political one. He said he can’t keep track of everything that Musk is cutting and he’s aware that Congress’ priorities could conflict with the fast-moving effort to trim spending. But to Roy, that’s better than the status quo.

“We have been up against the wall. Outgunned and outmanned thousands to one,” Roy said. “I have 14 people in my office. How am I going to go through every report of every dollar that’s being spent on foreign issues, domestic [issues]? It takes me all day long just to keep up with—pick an issue. So, again, I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt, three weeks in, to the president to administer the dollars.”