U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn introduced on Wednesday a group of bills seeking to reduce federal agency spending and trim the federal workforce, relocate federal agencies outside of Washington D.C., and require federal employees to report for work in person.
Blackburn announced the legislative package last week, dubbed the DOGE Acts – after president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency.
“The American people have had enough of outsized bureaucracy and wasteful government spending,” Blackburn said in a statement. “The DOGE Acts are the first step to achieving government efficiency by requiring federal employees to get back in the office, moving federal agencies into the heartland of America, cutting bloated federal spending across the board, and freezing federal hiring and salaries until we can rightsize the federal government.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn speaks during her watch party at the Hilton Hotel in Cool Springs, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, the duo Trump has tapped to lead the new DOGE agency, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss “major reform ideas.”
On social media and in interview appearances, Musk and Ramaswamy have hinted at plans for a 75% reduction in the federal workforce, $2 trillion cut to federal spending, and eliminating some federal agencies entirely.
The legislative package includes seven bills, including the following:
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The Federal Freeze Act, which would implement a one-year freeze on pay increases for federal civilian employee salaries. If passed, federal agency heads would be directed to establish a cap on their agency workforce over three years, decreasing the number of federal employees. Federal law enforcement, national security, public safety, and public health services employees would not see a pay freeze.
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The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act, which would require federal agencies to return to pre-pandemic telework levels within 30 days, and require agencies to submit telework plans to Congress to be certified by the Office of Personnel Management. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives last year.
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Across-the-Board Spending Cuts, a package of three separate bills that would require federal agencies to cut non-security discretionary spending by 1%, 2%, or 5%, beginning in fiscal year 2026. The Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and National Nuclear Security Administration are excluded from the bill.
U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New York, is sponsoring the legislation in the House.
“Under President Trump’s leadership and a Republican-controlled Congress, we are determined to cut wasteful government spending and reduce costs for hardworking Americans,” Tenney said. “Congress is ready to collaborate with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to rein in bloated budgets, relocate federal agencies out of Washington, DC, reform outdated bureaucracies, and ensure bureaucrats actually work for their pay.”
Presidents from both parties have contributed significantly to the national debt. The national debt increased by 40.45% during Trump’s first term as his policies contributed $8.18 trillion to the debt total, according to a USA Today analysis. Through last August, President Biden had contributed $6.66 trillion to the national debt, a 23.42% increase.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Blackburn introduces DOGE Acts aimed at federal efficiency