The federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. In recent months, the Department of Government Efficiency has identified significant waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. This initiative is critical to addressing the massive waste of taxpayer dollars that has gone unchecked for decades.
Over the past century, bad federal government policies have driven a sharp rise in federal spending. From 1980 to 2024, annual inflation-adjusted federal spending grew from $2.31 trillion to $6.78 trillion. In that same span, the government ran deficits in 40 of the past 44 years. The consequence of decadeslong, excessive spending is a national debt that has skyrocketed from $3.41 trillion in 1980 to $36 trillion in 2025.
Despite the rare cases in which major expenditures are understandable, such as the response to the 2008 financial crisis, the overall pattern reflects an unsustainable trend of unchecked government spending. But the solution is clear: dramatically reduce wasteful federal spending.
In just a few months, the Republican-led White House and Congress have taken swift action to rein in reckless federal spending. As DOGE identified billions of dollars in wasteful expenditures, my Republican colleagues and I sent a major rescissions bill with $9 billion in cuts to President Donald Trump’s desk.
This rescissions bill will recover billions of dollars that were appropriated to groups such as the U.S. Agency for International Development. Previously, the federal government spent $6 million to build net-zero emission cities in Mexico, $5.1 million to promote LGBT movements globally, $3 million to create an Iraqi version of Sesame Street, and a million dollars for voter ID in Haiti. These are just a few examples of outrageous federal spending. American taxpayer dollars should not be spent on progressive pet projects around the globe.
More importantly, these cost-cutting efforts have engaged the public in the first federal government audit in our nation’s history — one that reveals decades of excess and inefficiency. From the beginning, DOGE has operated with an unprecedented level of transparency. It created a website that highlights, in real time, what wasteful spending is being identified and cut. This effort isn’t buried in obscure government reports or hidden behind closed doors. It’s unfolding in full view for the American public.
Government officials have also made a concerted effort to communicate these findings to the public. During his joint address to Congress this year, Trump revealed to the tens of millions of Americans watching the egregious examples of extreme spending. More recently, Cabinet secretaries have continued exposing examples of wasteful spending from the Biden administration within their respective departments.
In return for the open and honest examination of federal glut, Americans continue to support DOGE’s efforts. Polling data analyzed by the New York Times found that Americans agreed with the statements “the government is inefficient” and “DOGE is a good idea” by margins of 14 and six percentage points, respectively. An NBC News poll reports that 46% of voters agreed that DOGE was a good idea, six percentage points more than those who thought it was a bad idea.
If Congress is serious about permanently enacting DOGE’s cost-cutting mission, it should look to my home state. In Texas, the Sunset Commission routinely evaluates state government agencies and programs. Its purpose is to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure public resources are used effectively. When programs fail to deliver, the commission can cut funding and transfer essential functions to better-suited agencies.
During my time in the Texas House, the Sunset Commission made many tough decisions but did so in full transparency with the public. Citizens could see the reports and provide input on cost-cutting efforts. These regular reviews of government programs are one reason Texas has run a budget surplus for over a decade.
SECRET SERVICE COMPLIANT WITH NEARLY HALF OF CONGRESSIONAL REFORM REQUESTS
It’s time for Congress to build on the momentum from DOGE and create a more efficient federal government. Alongside the White House, Congress must ensure that taxpayer dollars are no longer wasted and take meaningful action to reduce the national debt. Washington, D.C., should take a page from Texas.
A more efficient, limited federal government is not only possible but necessary to secure long-term prosperity for Americans and ensure we don’t saddle future generations with an unmanageable fiscal burden.
Craig Goldman represents Texas’s 12th Congressional District in the House.