House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that President Donald Trump administration’s Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program has already discovered “shocking” levels of waste and mispending — and that more was expected to be found.
Johnson defended tech billionaire Elon Musk’s effort to slash federal spending amid mounting Democratic Party opposition and legal challenges.
“We are fully supportive of what the DOGE effort is doing and what the President is doing,” Johnson told reporters.”What they’ve uncovered is, frankly, shocking. There are a lot of expenditures of the federal government that Congress has not been aware of, in spite of our best efforts to do oversight.”
The agency, created by executive order two weeks ago and led by Musk as a special government employee, aims to cut $2 trillion in federal spending.
Johnson has called the spiraling national debt of $36 trillion “a serious threat” to America’s future and security.
“That is a long overdue, much-welcomed development,” Johnson said. “That’s what the American people demand and deserve.”
After badly losing the 2024 general election that put Trump back in the White House, Democrats plan to challenge DOGE’s authority through the courts and the mainstream media.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced plans to block what they called “unlawful meddling” in Treasury Department payment systems. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-M.A., accused Musk of “seizing power that belongs to the American people.”
Two government employee unions have filed lawsuits against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, claiming DOGE violated privacy laws by accessing agency payment systems.
Treasury officials countered that DOGE workers only have “read-only” authority over government payments, and that such access is needed to analyze spending records.
Johnson dismissed Democrats unfounded conspiracy theories that Musk was violating the constitution by cutting spending.
“(DOGE) is using that authority right in a way that hasn’t been used in a long time,” the House speaker said. “So it looks radical. It’s not. This is not a usurpation of authority in any way. It’s not a power grab.”
The Speaker predicted more legal challenges by Democrats to stop the spending scrutiny, but maintained that the work is supported by Americans.
“We’ve got to spend money better, and if this executive branch and this White House is going to take the initiative to dig in and expose it, we applaud it,” Johnson said. “I wish the courts would allow the executive and legislative branches to work, but we’ll see how all that develops.”
Democrats plan to gather for a “Nobody Elected Elon” rally outside the U.S. Treasury, while DOGE continues its review of federal agencies.