The Congressional Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus is holding its second-ever meeting on Wednesday, where its leaders are expected to unveil a set of ‘principles’ to guide the group in its mission to cut government waste.
They outlined eight goals, some practical while others more symbolic, in a bid to ensure the caucus is in sync with the DOGE advisory panel set up by President-elect Donald Trump.
‘The federal government must serve the interests of taxpayers, and taxpayers are best served by a lean, efficient, transparent, and accountable bureaucracy,’ the first principle read, according to a draft memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
The document also suggested both lofty and smaller-scale goals. ‘No amount of waste, fraud, abuse, duplication, or administrative bloat is too small or too large to fix.’ DOGE Caucus leaders had previously put an emphasis on ‘low-hanging fruit’ to start their mission with, like unused federal office space held by agencies with remote work policies.
The memo puts such employees on notice, noting that they and any federal regulations or agencies ‘must demonstrate effectiveness for and responsiveness to taxpayers while also not creating unnecessary costs or burdens.’
Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who co-founded the caucus, told Fox News Digital, ‘We’ve articulated our vision in a transparent manner that is both concise and consumable for every American.’
Co-founder Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said, ‘The mandate is clear: every dollar spent in Washington must deliver a direct benefit to the people it serves, while prioritizing transparency, accountability, and efficiency.’
The caucus also called for the elimination of ‘existing federal agencies, programs, rules, regulations, or functions that do not provide value to taxpayers,’ if they cannot be reformed.
DOGE Caucus leaders are also signaling a significant focus on rolling back the regulatory state with the point, ‘All rules and regulations should be grounded in statute. Congress enacts public policy, not unelected bureaucrats.’
The group’s third co-chair, Vice Chair of the House GOP Conference Blake Moore, R-Utah, said of their outline, ‘The DOGE Caucus has wasted no time organizing our members and crafting a clear vision for what we hope to achieve, and these principles underscore how we plan to get there. The time is now to rein in wasteful federal spending, streamline our bureaucracy, and make Washington work better for Americans.’
Caucus members gathered for their first meeting in mid-December, which lawmakers said was largely introductory.
The push to slash government waste has been met with surprising enthusiasm by members on both sides of the political aisle. Several Democrats have already joined the caucus, and at least three were said to have attended the first meeting.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were on Capitol Hill late last year to discuss goals for their DOGE panel with lawmakers.