“Leadership doesn’t care because they have Democrats to vote on the bill to pass them. They’re not paying attention to conservatives,” said Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), one of the 21 House Republicans to vote against the latest government funding deal.
Fiscally conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) called himself “the only DOGE-voting congressman left" and said he wasn't surprised that DOGE efforts have fizzled.
“I never really believed they were sincere to start with,” he said.
Instead of pursuing aggressive rescissions packages as House Speaker Mike Johnson promised, the administration has shifted tactics by targeting specific Democratic-led states with fraud allegations rather than pursuing sweeping budget cuts, and Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) questioned his own appointment to head the congressional subcommittee focused on DOGE.
“They put me on there to die,” Burchett told CNN. “They don’t like that I call them out.”
The Tennessee Republican threatened to introduce legislation and “publicly embarrass” lawmakers who stand in the way, but he conceded that fellow Republicans don't want to make the cuts he believes are necessary.
“You can’t win but I’m going to fight it because I think it is worth it, I honestly do," Burchett said. "I think we will lose our country if we’re not careful with all this nonsense, $40 trillion in debt. When does it stop? Democrats spend it on woke garbage and we spend it on a military that we don’t need."
Meanwhile, moderate Republicans quietly celebrate Musk's departure, citing demoralizing impacts on federal workers and damage to GOP-worker relationships.
"A year ago, you had young people coming into federal agencies telling people you're gone," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). "We're not seeing that level of chaos and controversy. Thank goodness."
GOP Senator Thom Tillis identified a fundamental flaw: DOGE lacked institutional scaffolding to survive beyond Musk's involvement. Without sustainable structures, the movement collapsed once political will faded.
The result is a significant defeat for fiscal conservatives who viewed Trump's return as their best opportunity for transformative federal downsizing. Instead, they face a party leadership prioritizing political survival over ideological commitments, leaving ambitious cost-cutting goals abandoned before 2026 midterms.
“In some respects, I’m sad that DOGE wasn’t more successful," said one GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak freely. "I’m a little irritated at Elon. We are driving towards bankruptcy. Clearly a more efficient government is part of the solution. But Elon’s approach was just not serious enough to get us the progress we need. It’s really unfortunate. I think it sets us back on the search for efficiency seeking quite a way."
