Trump faces growing DOGE revolt from GOP lawmakers
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President Trump speaks at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 18, 2025. Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images.
As the Trump administration continues its crusade to pare down the federal job rolls and slash federal spending, some Republicans on Capitol Hill are growing unnerved by what they see as an imprecise exercise.
Why it matters: The job and funding cuts are now hitting GOP lawmakers' districts and states. There's also a larger conflict brewing over whether the administration can simply bypass Congress on these decisions.
- DOGE's efforts to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies could bring matters to a head, one House Republican told Axios.
- "I think you're going to see a clash when they ... start abolishing [agencies]," the lawmaker said. "Say like USAID, right? We authorized that. That's a creature of Congress."
- "If they try to do something like that, then you're going to get into a constitutional argument or crisis."
Driving the news: DOGE's spree of job cuts is starting to target federal roles that even some of Trump's Republican allies in Congress may deem too essential to sacrifice.
- That includes the Federal Aviation Administration firing several hundred of its 45,000 employees amid a string of fear-inducing plane crashes.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs the National Weather Service and helps combat natural disasters, is also on the chopping block, Axios' Andrew Freedman and Ben Geman reported.
- The administration even fired over 300 workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration — which manages the U.S. nuclear arsenal — but has since scrambled to reinstate most of them, according to CNN.
What they're saying: Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) told Axios the administration is moving "too fast." She warned Elon Musk's team should wait until agency heads are confirmed and can take "a more surgical approach."
- She said some recent actions "violate restrictions that are in current law" and the team is "making mistakes," referencing the accidental firing of officials working on bird flu.
- "Before making cuts rashly, the Administration should be studying and staffing to see what the consequences are. Measure twice before cutting. They have had to backtrack multiple times," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also has concerns and told Axios of her state's many federal workers: "We all want efficiencies, there is a way to do it, and the way these people have been treated has been awful in many cases. Awful."
Zoom in: Several other lawmakers, including Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), have criticized the various agency layoffs as well, according to Politico.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told RadioIowa it is "a tragedy for people that are getting laid off," but that "this is an executive branch decision."
- "Congress can't do anything except complain about it," he said.
The other side: "President Trump has enjoyed broad support on his plan to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs align with the mandate the American people gave him in November," said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.
- Kelly said that DOGE is "already uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse" and that Trump will "cut programs that do not serve the interests of the American people and keep programs that put America First."
- A White House official pointed Axios to statements of support from 17 Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
Zoom out: While Republicans have largely applauded the swiftness of DOGE's hacking and slashing, some are quietly fuming that their Constitutional role in controlling federal funds could be steamrolled in the process.
- The House Republican who spoke anonymously warned that many conservatives are "very constitutionalist" and may be inclined to protect Congress' power if forced to do so.
- "Even though it's our guy in the White House, if there's a lot of executive overreach, we want to protect the institution of Congress," they said.
Between the lines: Despite taking a back seat in Trump's "government efficiency" drive, GOP lawmakers are not without leverage.
- Trump will need his whole party on board in Congress when it comes to passing his massive budget reconciliation bill later this year.
- In the House, Republicans have a razor-thin majority and cannot afford more than a couple of defections on a party-line bill — meaning Trump will have to keep nearly every GOP lawmaker sated.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comments from the White House.
