Mike Johnson: ‘Gross Overreaction’ Over Musk’s Efforts to Lower Spending

• Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday defended efforts by Elon Musk to chop authorities spending.
• Johnson mentioned Republicans would “vigorously defend” Congress’ function in authorities.
• He mentioned the hassle by Musk’s DOGE to probe spending was a “lengthy overdue” growth.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday defended the function of Division of Authorities Effectivity head Elon Musk in scrutinizing authorities spending, arguing that the manager department is appearing “throughout the scope of their authority.”

Throughout a press briefing on the Capitol, Johnson was requested about prior GOP complaints relating to “unelected bureaucrats” exerting affect throughout the federal authorities.

“There is a cause the founding fathers put the Congress, the legislative department, as the primary article within the Structure and we’ll vigorously defend that,” he mentioned. “However what’s occurring proper now’s a gross overreaction within the media to what’s occurring. The chief department of presidency in our system has the appropriate to judge how government department businesses are working. … It is not an influence seize.”

DOGE was created by way of government order by President Donald Trump final month and it operates out of the White Home, to the dismay of Democratic critics who’ve warned towards Musk’s elevated affect in federal authorities.

Johnson through the GOP press convention then mentioned the “stewardship of valuable American taxpayers” was being dealt with properly.

“That is what they’re doing — by placing a pause on a few of these businesses and by evaluating them, by doing these inside audits,” he mentioned. “That may be a lengthy overdue, a lot welcome growth.”

“We do not see as a menace to Article I in any respect. We see this as an lively, engaged dedicated government department authority doing what the manager department ought to do,” he added.

Congressional Democrats on Tuesday held a rally outdoors the Division of Treasury constructing in Washington the place they vigorously pushed again towards the Musk’s efforts to overtake main departments just like the Division of Schooling — in addition to his efforts to dismantle the USAID.