White House Sends Package of DOGE Cuts to Congress; OMB Escalates GAO Feud

The Trump Administration plans to send over its first package of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to Congress this week, as pressure mounted from conservative members to codify the DOGE cuts.

The first package sent over will be a $9.4 billion “recissions package,” a small fraction of the $175 billion DOGE is claiming to save and a very small fraction of the $1.6 trillion in yearly federal discretionary spending. 

In the package will be cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid, two areas long targeted by the President for supposed liberal bias and wasteful spending. $1.1 billion will be trimmed from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, while $8.3 billion will be axed from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the African Development Foundation. 

Congressional leaders say they’re ready to get going. 

“We’ve all said that we’re anxious to act on rescissions packages and hope they find a way to send them up,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). 

However, some moderate Republicans have expressed concerns, particularly over the cuts to PBS.

“This is the first I heard of this. Nebraska public media does a good job, so I’m not inclined,” said Representative Don Bacon (R-NE). “I’ll consider it.”

The effort to codify DOGE gained steam among money in the Trump circle, after former DOGE head Elon Musk complained about the spending in the “big, beautiful bill” which passed the House by one vote in May. 

“A bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” said Musk in a CBS interview. “But I don’t know if it can be both.”

GAO, OMB Tussle Heats Up

Meanwhile, the tension between the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the congressional watchdog the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is growing. 

OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta said the administration would reduce its level of cooperation with GAO investigations. 

This after GAO said the administration’s cancellation of a $5 billion electric vehicle program without congressional approval broke the law. 

Paoletta said OMB will only cooperate with GAO “in a manner that ensures that the burdens of such engagements do not unduly impede” its ability to execute the president’s agenda. 

A GAO spokesperson said the agency is simply carrying out its constitutional duties. 

“The majority of our audit work is mandated in law or in response to bipartisan Congressional requests,” said a GAO statement.