Let’s stop pretending this is normal. The United States has racked up over $36 trillion in debt. This year alone, we’re staring down a $2.75 trillion deficit. That’s a 38% increase over last year and the largest ever recorded — even while revenues are at all-time highs. We don’t have a revenue problem. We have a spending addiction.
Washington has mastered the art of borrowing to win the next election, not to build a sustainable future. If nothing changes, our national debt will hit 118.5% of gross domestic product within a decade. That’s not a fiscal cliff; it’s a crater we’re actively digging deeper.
President Donald Trump recognized the dysfunction and launched the Department of Government Efficiency, putting Elon Musk in charge. It was an audacious move, but necessary. DOGE is doing what Congress hasn’t: cutting bloat, auditing waste, and asking basic questions such as, “Why do we still do it this way?”
But here’s the hard truth: DOGE alone can’t fix this. Executive action without legislative teeth is temporary. The fix requires a Congress willing to vote for tough, structural changes that mean something.
Before I held office, I served as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer in Afghanistan, one of the most brutal and unforgiving places on Earth. Over there, indecision cost lives. We had to adapt fast, operate lean, and deliver under pressure. That’s the mindset Washington lacks. No posturing. No endless committees. Just get the job done. That’s how you earn trust.
As Texas land commissioner, I inherited an agency riddled with mismanagement and bloated bureaucracy. It wasn’t just dysfunctional; it was ineffective when Texans needed it most. So, we went to work. I cut over 100 positions, slashed the agency’s budget by 20%, and digitized outdated systems to bring 21st-century accountability to government operations.
But streamlining wasn’t just about saving dollars; it was about delivering results when it mattered most. After Hurricane Harvey struck in 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) tapped me to lead the state’s recovery efforts. Coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, my office navigated one of the largest natural disaster responses in state history. Despite political pressure and controversy, I fought to secure $750 million in federal aid for hard-hit Harris County. Texans didn’t need excuses; they needed housing, infrastructure, and a way forward. We got it done.
This isn’t theory or campaign talk. It’s the same playbook Washington needs right now: tighten the belt, modernize operations, and deliver results. So, here’s what must happen:
1. Cap spending — for real. No more pretending that “projected growth” justifies reckless budgets. Hard caps with real enforcement mechanisms.
2. Sunset redundant agencies. If two departments do the same job, shut one down. If a program hasn’t proved results, end it.
3. Digitize everything. From benefits delivery to procurement, the federal government still runs on 1990s tech. Fix that.
4. Open the books. Every dollar spent should be visible to the public, searchable, and easy to follow. No exceptions.
5. Reform entitlements before they implode. Social Security and Medicare are on a collision course with insolvency. Reform them now or watch them collapse our government and economy later.
DOGE: WHICH STATES ARE TRYING SIMILAR EFFORTS TO FEDERAL INITIATIVE
Critics will say that this guts “vital services.” False. Waste and fraud are not services. Outdated systems aren’t sacred. If we run government like a 21st-century business, we can deliver more with less. In 2025, we’ll spend more on interest payments than on national defense. That’s not just inefficient; it’s dangerous.
We’re not in need of another commission. We need leaders with the guts to say no to the status quo. Let’s restore trust in government.
George P. Bush is an attorney, a former Navy Reserve intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan, and the 28th Texas land commissioner.