We are pleased to contribute a few ideas to the DOGE effort led by Elon Musk of the Department of Government Efficiency, Congressmen Aaron Bean (FL-04) and Pete Sessions (TX-17), leaders of the House DOGE Caucus, and Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), leader of the Senate DOGE Caucus.
What is necessary for DOGE to succeed is a comprehensive plan to “follow the money”.
The Constitution clearly states that “no money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law.” If you want to change Washington, it is essential to attack the wasteful spending at its source: appropriations made by Congress.
We cannot “study” the problem or require agencies to initiate evaluation of reforms. That is how we came to have these issues. Any “reforms” will simply be waited out by the Washington swamp until DOGE has become a bureaucracy of its own and then we are back to business as usual.
Ask Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson of the ill-fated Simpson-Bowles Commission (The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform) how that works out.
What Tracking DOGE will offer is a blueprint to actually eliminate programs, departments and funding in the twelve appropriation bills which fund the government.
Our examples will be taken from the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (formerly State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencires) appropriations bill. Specifically, they will concentrate on the multilateral development banks (MDBs), such as the World Bank, in the foreign aid portions of that bill.
Why these programs? When we withdraw from the MDBs, they must return $70 billion to American taxpayers! Even in Washington, that’s serious money.
If we can’t DOGE foreign aid, what can we DOGE?
They will be applicable to the other 11 appropriations bills but that work will have to be undertaken by others. The same principles apply.
One question will guide us: Was the money cut off? Yes or No.
There may be recommendations of interim steps designed to delay the spending of appropriated funds until they can be rescinded or to stop particularly egregious practices in prelude to cutting appropriations. However, the goal is a singular one: cut off the money.
We will provide detailed examples of legislative language to make genuine changes and Presidential executive orders to direct executive agencies to rapidly implement these changes. As a starting point, read our Essential Guide to DOGEing.
Tracking DOGE will follow the progress of recommended changes through the relevant Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the House and Senate Appropriation Committees.
We will follow the positions of members of the Subcommittees on each recommendation. To the extent that they are available on the public record, we will highlight Subcommittee hearings and markups to focus on what Members are actually doing to DOGE expenditures.
Join us in DOGEing. It should be fun!
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