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FIRST ON FOX: At the second meeting of the caucus of the Department of Government Efficiency of the Senate (DOGE), president Joni Ernst, R-Iowaled discussions on how they can start to reduce waste more effectively and quickly across government.
The new 18-member caucus met Thursday morning and strategized how to avoid some of the pitfalls other similar efforts have encountered.
“The Senate DOGE Caucus is rolling out day one of the Trump administration to shrink the size of government,” Ernst told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Biden’s bloat has created a target-rich environment for finding ways to eliminate waste and hold the bureaucracy accountable to the people. Now is the time for results, and after today, I’m sure we have plans to serve as an arm to Congress to deliver to taxpayers.”
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Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is the Chair of the DOGE Caucus. (Reuters)
For years, Ernst has been taking inventory of government waste, giving the caucus a list of places to start cutting red tape and making government run more efficiently.
Some specific goals for the caucus are federal telecommuting, IRS agents with unpaid taxes and American funding going to foreign labs with little accountability.
Caucus members mapped out how they can approach those items in a way that ensures they can get “multiple bites at the apple,” according to Ernst’s office.
Ernst audited the IRS herself. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
To do this, Republican members plan to take advantage of tools like the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which can be used to overturn established rules. by federal agenciesand budget reconciliation.
The budget reconciliation process is already expected to be a key vehicle for Republican immigration and tax policy goals, and the party has also indicated it could pass two reconciliation bills this year. One senator even suggested they could do three bills during the 119th Congress.
The advantage of passing legislation through budget reconciliation is that it requires a simple majority and is not subject to the 60-vote threshold for legislative filibuster. Likewise, the CRA is not beholden to the filibuster.
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Republicans plan to hit the ground running with their new majorities. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The caucus also plans to work with the president-elect trump on executive orders targeting government waste.
All 18 caucus members serve on different Senate committees, giving them a full picture of where the most waste is.
President-elect Trump tapped Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy, right, to lead DOGE. (Getty Images)
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Last year, Ernst used the opportunity to unveil a plan that would cut $2 trillion in what he says is waste. In it, he recommends selling vacant government buildings, auditing the IRS and firing agents who owe taxes, and cutting seemingly random or “dumb” government studies, among other things.
DOGE was previously announced by Trump, who tapped billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the new advisory council that seeks to reduce government waste.
