California Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D) claimed on CNN’s “Newsroom” that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is “unconstitutional and illegal.”
Host Jim Acosta said, as Mediaite reported, “I want to ask you about something that is coming into your wheelhouse. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy apparently will be up on Capitol Hill talking about their ideas for this thing that they’re calling DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, which is a bit of a misnomer because it won’t be a part of the federal government, apparently, but Congress controls the purse strings.”
“What are your thoughts on Elon Musk and Ramaswamy deciding or trying to decide what stays and what goes in the federal government?” he asked.
Lofgren asserted that DOGE is “illegal.”
“You know they haven’t asked to meet with me, but the impoundment of funds that have been appropriated by the Congress is unconstitutional and illegal. There is no such Department of Government Efficiency it’s made up. So good luck to them,” she said. “I mean, if, um, if there is a plan that President Trump wants to propose to the Congress he should send it to us but the Constitution does not permit the president to simply avoid what the Congress has done, that that power of the purse is with the legislative branch, not the president.”
Other Democrats have come out in support of DOGE.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) declared that he is “ready to work” with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in support of the agency. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) also issued a statement in support of DOGE. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) similarly signaled support for DOGE.
