Senate GOP Debates Dealing with DOGE

Senate Republicans are signaling they will not simply rubber-stamp President Trump’s sweeping efforts to shrink the federal government.

While many conservatives in both chambers have praised the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for its aggressive cost-cutting measures, some Senate Republicans are hesitant to fully codify Trump’s cuts into upcoming spending bills.

This hesitation comes despite growing frustration among voters over the bloated federal government and reckless spending that has pushed the national debt past $36 trillion.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) acknowledged that some DOGE-backed cuts could be codified, but warned against applying them “across the board.”

With fiscal year 2025 funding in place, lawmakers now face a September 30 deadline to prevent a shutdown and finalize spending for 2026.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said DOGE’s findings will help prepare a budget blueprint that will serve as a guide for Republicans.

“The big savings found by DOGE will be a part of fiscal ’26,” Johnson told reporters. “We’ll get a budget from the White House that reflects all of those savings, because there’ll be time to calculate it and do that, and then we will begin the appropriations process for 2026.”

While many Republicans support DOGE’s moves, some lawmakers have expressed concern about the rapid pace and scale of the cuts.

“It’s moving a lot faster than most of us thought that it would,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

“We want to make sure that we have input into it. We’re going to try to help the president wherever we can to get spending under control, but we’re also going to be a double check where there is damage being done that should not be done.”

Rescission Bills Could Provide a Path Forward

Republicans recognize that the Senate’s 60-vote threshold means that any funding bill will require bipartisan support, making it harder to fully implement DOGE’s recommendations through appropriations.

Some GOP lawmakers believe a rescissions package—which would require only 51 votes—may be a more effective way to enact spending cuts.

“That may be where we actually address some of the DOGE reductions,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.). He noted that passing appropriations bills with deep spending cuts will be difficult since Democrats will likely oppose them.

While many Senate Republicans support DOGE’s efforts, not all are on board.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has been vocal about her concerns, particularly regarding the administration’s push to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Murkowski also criticized fellow Republicans for remaining silent out of fear of political backlash.

“That’s why you’ve got everybody just zip-lipped, not saying a word because they’re afraid they’re going to be taken down—they’re going to be primaried, they’re going to be given names in the media,” she said. “We cannot be cowed into not speaking up.”

Murkowski was one of about two dozen Republicans who voted against an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to codify DOGE’s foreign aid cuts.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), who voted for Paul’s amendment, suggested that many Republicans support DOGE’s cuts but were hesitant to back the amendment because it could have triggered a government shutdown.

“We also want to, at the earliest opportunity we have, engage in some of the DOGE recommendations for cuts,” Lummis said. “And so, I think that if there are rescission bills that find their way to the Senate floor, I think you’ll see some support for that.”

“I’m a devout reformer. I’m willing to accept cuts in almost any form at almost any time, but I don’t know how many people there are like me,” she said.

“I don’t even know if it’s a majority of the majority party, but I think we’re going to get a chance to find out.”