(NewsNation) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is defending the actions being taken by the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency amid complaints from Democrats over whether the newly formed agency is wielding too much power.
The agency, more commonly known as DOGE, has been active since President Donald Trump took office and signed an executive order creating DOGE shortly after taking office just more than two weeks ago. After Musk vowed to cut $2 trillion from federal government spending, the tech billionaire has come under fire from Democrats questioning Musk’s authority to act.
Asked if Musk and DOGE had been given powers that fall under Article One of the U.S. Constitution that grants Congress various enumerated powers and the right to pass laws necessary to carry out those powers, Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, defended the agency.
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Johnson told reporters that the executive branch of the government has the right to evaluate how agencies within the branch operate. He said by pausing the work of federal agencies that are now under evaluation, DOGE ensures that American tax dollars are being used wisely.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. They spoke about “election integrity,” which has been one of the former president’s top issues. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“That is a long overdue, much-welcomed development,” Johnson said. “That’s what the American people demand and deserve.”
Johnson said that Congress views DOGE’s evaluation of agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education and other federal offices as an “active, engaged, committed” exercise in what the executive branch was designed to do. Johnson said that DOGE has “broad discretion” on how federal funding is used.
“(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. I think they’re doing what we’ve all expected and hope and asked that they would do.”
Democrats gathered Tuesday for what was characterized as a “Nobody Elected Elon” rally outside of the U.S. Treasury, ABC News reported. The group accused Musk of abuse of power. Musk was appointed a “special government employee,” which subjects him to less stringent rules on ethics and financial disclosures than other workers.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said that Musk is “seizing power that belongs to the American people.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, plan to introduce legislation that would block “unlawful meddling” in the Treasury Department’s payment systems, ABC News reported.
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This week’s rally comes as DOGE took control of the finances of the U.S. Agency for International Aid, had employees locked out of their workplaces and accessed classified information, NewsNation reported this week. Meanwhile, federal lawmakers were told by a U.S. Treasury official that DOGE will only have “read-only” authority over the government’s payment system.
Two large unions representing current and retired government employees filed a lawsuit against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, saying DOGE broke privacy laws by entering the agency’s payment system, according to The Associated Press.
Johnson told reporters that he expects more legal challenges to come over DOGE activity. Johnson called the nation’s $36 trillion debt load “a serious threat” to the future and security of the nation and said that action needed to be taken.
“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.
