Rep. Robert Garcia named to DOGE subcommittee
Rep. Robert Garcia has been named to the Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, a new House panel chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The subcommittee will work in tandem with President Donald Trump‘s new Department of Government Efficiency, also referred to as DOGE, headed up by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The goal for both the new committee and department, according to the administration, is to get rid of wasteful spending.
But some Democrats fear the effort will lead to the elimination of critical government services.
Related: President Trump’s inauguration is marked with celebration and protest across Southern California
“Billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump are going to use DOGE to attack our federal workforce and the critical programs we rely on,” Garcia, a Democrat from Long Beach, said in a statement.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene and her extremist allies are helping push a radical agenda in this subcommittee that includes eliminating the Department of Education and programs for seniors and veterans,” he continued. “We’re ready to fight back on day one, call out attempts to slash our social safety net, and make sure we take care of working families and the middle class.”
Republicans have already signaled interest in nixing DEI initiatives as well as making cuts to the Pentagon and federal Department of Education.
The DOGE oversight subcommittee will have a say over federal civil service, including compensation, classification and benefits; federal property disposal; and government reorganizations and operations, including transparency, performance, grants management and accounting measures.
“Together, we will strive to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement within federal agencies, ensuring that the government operates efficiently and transparently for the American people,” Greene said in a statement.
Other Republicans on the committee, her office announced Tuesday, include Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Michael Cloud of Texas, Pat Fallon of Texas, Brandon Gill of Texas, Brian Jack of Georgia and William Timmons of South Carolina.
Along with Garcia, the Democratic lawmakers include Reps. Greg Casar of Texas, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, as well as D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, according to Politico.
Garcia is considered a political rising star in the Democratic Party. He was elected to the House in 2022 and selected by his colleagues late last year to a key Democratic Caucus leadership role to represent newer members of Congress.