On Wednesday, Elon Musk attended a closed-door luncheon with Senate Republicans to discuss his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse across federal programs. However, Republican senators made one thing clear: any cuts proposed by DOGE will need to go through Congress for approval.
Musk, who has aggressively pushed to shrink the size of the federal government, shared his team’s work aimed at cutting spending and reducing the federal workforce. Despite his enthusiasm, several GOP senators warned him that his initiatives would not stand unless they were formally approved by Congress.
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who supports Musk’s mission, told him that the cuts would not pass legal scrutiny unless Congress passes a spending rescission package. “To make it real, to make it go beyond the moment of the day, it needs to come back in the form of a rescission package,” Paul said after the meeting. “I love all the stuff they’re doing, but we got to vote on it. My message to Elon was: Let’s get over the impoundment idea and let’s send it back as a rescission package.”
Paul explained that the key to making these cuts permanent would require securing enough votes in Congress, adding, “Then, what we have to do is get to 51 senators or 50 senators to vote to cut the spending.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Senate Budget Committee, echoed Paul’s sentiment, saying there was widespread support within the Senate GOP for a formal vote on DOGE’s cuts. “Yes, yes, 100 percent, and we should be doing it, like, yesterday,” Graham said, according to The Hill.
He clarified that while Musk could pursue regulatory reforms on his own, any cuts to government spending that affect discretionary programs need to be approved through a rescission package, not through the budget reconciliation process.
Other Republican lawmakers, including Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), explained that DOGE’s proposed cuts primarily target discretionary spending. For those cuts to be implemented, the White House would need to request Congress to take up a rescission package. With the right votes, this could be passed with a simple majority in both the Senate and the House.
Musk appeared surprised to learn that Congress could pass such a package with a simple majority vote, as opposed to the usual 60 votes needed for controversial legislation. This revelation underlined his misunderstanding of the legislative process and highlighted concerns from senators about DOGE’s lack of communication and transparency.
Several senators, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), expressed concerns about Musk’s approach. Collins described it as a “sledgehammer approach,” suggesting a more thoughtful, gradual reform process would be more effective than the aggressive cuts Musk had proposed.
Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) invited Musk to meet with Senate Republicans after several lawmakers expressed frustration over DOGE’s lack of transparency. Many Republicans felt blindsided by Musk’s proposed cuts, funding freezes, and workforce reductions, with some saying that they were caught off guard by the announcements.
“There’s been a lot of surprises,” said Senator Collins. “Every day’s another surprise,” she added, referring to the frequent changes coming from DOGE.
During the meeting, Musk assured senators he would create a process for responding more quickly to their concerns. The assurance seemed to calm some of the frustrations in the room, but many Republicans remained cautious about his aggressive tactics.
Despite the criticisms of Musk’s methods, some senators are hesitant to challenge him too directly. Musk, who supported Republican candidates during the 2024 election, is seen as a powerful figure with considerable influence. He spent millions backing Trump and other GOP candidates and has made it clear that he intends to play a significant role in the 2024 primaries. This has made some senators wary of pushing him too hard for fear of upsetting him and facing political consequences.
Musk’s meeting with the senators highlighted the growing tension between his ambitious government efficiency plans and the need for Congressional oversight. With Republicans demanding that any cuts go through the proper legislative process, it’s clear that Musk’s vision for government reform will need to navigate the complexities of Capitol Hill before it can become a reality.
