In a recent op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Mike Gallagher, a former congressman from Wisconsin, called on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to target their cost-cutting efforts at Congress to create lasting fiscal reform.
Musk and Ramaswamy were selected by President-elect Trump to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a newly created commission tasked with reducing federal expenditures.
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Gallagher argued that meaningful progress requires addressing the way Congress handles its budgetary responsibilities. He cautioned that without overhauling the legislative budget process, the commission’s efforts to reform federal spending could falter.
In his piece, Gallagher wrote, “If the DOGE men don’t focus on reforming Congress’s budget process, they will struggle to realize their ambition of revolutionizing the federal government and returning America to fiscal sanity.”
He warned against relying solely on executive actions, suggesting that such an approach would result in superficial fixes rather than substantial change. Gallagher emphasized that focusing exclusively on executive orders could render the commission ineffective and leave its legacy as little more than a publicity stunt.
The article criticized Congress for relying on temporary funding measures instead of adopting comprehensive, long-term spending plans. Gallagher recommended adopting legislation akin to the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, introduced by Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma.
This bill would require Congress to remain in session during government shutdowns and restrict taxpayer-funded travel until a budget agreement is reached.
He also endorsed the advancement of the Trust Act, which seeks to address reforms for Social Security and Medicare. The legislation, initially bipartisan, aims to empower specialized committees to propose reform measures that would be put to a vote in both the House and Senate, bypassing leadership roadblocks.
In his op-ed, Gallagher urged the DOGE commission to prioritize the Trust Act, which faced criticism in the past from the Biden administration, framing it as an opportunity to force Congress into action. He argued that the bill’s structure would compel lawmakers to take difficult votes on critical financial reforms.
Musk and Ramaswamy have yet to release a detailed strategy for achieving their goal of $2 trillion in spending cuts. However, they plan to begin their review of federal agency budgets this month, signaling their intent to address inefficiencies across the government.
