Ernst to head new Senate DOGE Caucus
President-elect Donald Trump’s big plan to have Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy shape federal cost cutting has a new partnership with the Senate.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will take charge of a new Senate DOGE Caucus, which will work with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk and Ramaswamy.
The DOGE group will be eyeing massive cuts to federal spending and the government workforce. The commission has been tasked with coordinating with and advising the White House and Office of Management and Budget.
“The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst said in a statement. “The Senate DOGE Caucus is ready to carry out critical oversight in Congress and use our legislative force to fight against the entrenched bureaucracy, trim the fat, and get Washington back to work for Americans.”
“We look forward to partnering with the Senate to downsize government. Grateful to Sen. Joni Ernst for her excellent suggestions yesterday!” Ramaswamy posted Friday on social media.
The New York Post first reported Ernst’s leadership of the new caucus.
The pair met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday night, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Other founding members of the caucus are Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.). None serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes federal spending bills.
“Let’s start cutting some government!” Lee posted Friday.
The Senate move follows action in the House, where Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will lead a new House Oversight subcommittee on DOGE.
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.