Here's what Texas DOGE talked about on day one
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Despite not directly discussing legislation, the Texas House Delivery of Government Efficiency (Texas DOGE) committee met for more than 12 hours in their inaugural session. Here's a partial recap of what they discussed.
Before taking any testimony, Chair Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, started to discuss his vision for the upstart committee.
'We will not be passive observers. We will be enforcers of accountability now,' Capriglione said. 'Our work will be thorough. Public hearings will shine a light on failures. Legislative proposals will emerge from this committee to drive reform. Investigations will hold bad actors accountable. We are here to advocate for the taxpayer, the small business owner, the retiree on a fixed income and the Texan who depends on public services that are too often compromised by mismanagement and negligence.'
Vice Chair Salman Bhoijani, D-Euless, laid also laid out how he hopes Texas DOGE will operate.
'As the eighth largest economy in the world, with the climate of innovation and doing more with less, Texas can lead the way in responsible, efficient government, ensuring tax money is being responsibly should be a bipartisan goal,' he said. 'But let me be clear, my focus is not about cutting essential services or devaluing hard working public servants. I'm here to work with you, not against you, to improve how we serve Texans.'
The first agency to testify in front of the committee was the Texas Sunset Commission, who the Texas DOGE Committee will have direct oversight over.
Sunset Commission Executive Director Eric Beverly started with prepared remarks, noting how the agency provides oversight similar to what DOGE is tasked with doing. He said in their 48 years of operation, they've abolished 42 agencies and programs, saving taxpayers a billion dollars since 1985.
'Sunset has resulted in less regulation, improved agency performance and greater government accountability,' Beverly said. 'There's no doubt that the face of state government looks different today due to the sunset process.'
Next, the committee heard from the Department of Information Resources (DIR) Executive Director Amanda Crawford. DIR impressed the committee with the scale at which they help government agencies, from state agencies down to school districts, secure cheap software and technology assistance.
Crawford estimated the DIR has saved Texas taxpayers at least $376 million in cost avoidance through securing cooperative contracts — using their leverage as a large collection of organizations to negotiate better deals.
Crawford also highlighted areas where DIR has helped moved government services online through Texas.gov, saving taxpayer money.
'DIR has returned to the general revenue fund 193 million through the Texas.gov program, and issued nearly six million in rebates to our customers over the last five years,' Crawford said. 'For example, renewing a driver's license online means Texans don't have to drive to a location wait in line, resulting in savings of around $57 per person and at least two hours of their precious time. In addition, utilizing texas.gov online services can free up state employees to complete other essential duties, saving agencies time and money.'
One aspect the committee discussed was to require smaller, local government organizations — like cities, school districts, special purpose districts — to use cooperative contracts. State agencies are already required to do so, but it's optional for other government entities.
'Why aren't they using you,' State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, asked.
'It's more than likely they don't know,' Crawford responded.
'Should they be made to use you,' Cain asked. 'Would the taxpayers be happy? Would they save a lot of money?'
'I think they would save a lot of money,' Crawford explained.
The committee heard from Gwen Griffin, the chair of the new Texas Space Commission's Board of Directors. Griffin talked about the need for Texas to lead the way in America's reintroduction to space.
'Resources that can benefit our lives, such as helium-3 are abundant on the lunar surface. It's very rare here on Earth. We need to learn how to mine them and bring them back to Earth for the benefit of humanity,' Griffin said.
Committee members were excited to hear about the new advancements in space exploration, but showed some concerns about potential conflicts of interest in contract awards. Within their board of directors are representatives from SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and more.
'It just concerns me, because it looks like you received applications, 281 applications… [for] $3.4 billion, but almost 20% of the grants given were people on your board,' State Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, D-Richardson, said.
'We disclose to our chief compliance officer and our executive director if we do have a conflict of interest,' Griffin said. 'We never see those applications, we do not vote or speak about those applications if we are conflicted in our open meetings. Therefore we're not involved in that process should we be conflicted.
Griffin also clarified that the grants are not going to members of the board, but the companies they're affiliated with.
Further installments of the DOGE Committee Recap will be published leading up to their next hearing on March 12.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is it safe? Plans to reuse fracking water amid growing water shortage move forward
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Amid the growing water shortage in West Texas, the Texas Legislature has given oil and gas companies the opportunity to reuse wastewater created during the oil fracking process. State Rep. Drew Darby's House Bill 49 is now on the way Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for a final signature. Research & Development Manager at Texas Pacific Water Resources, Adrianne Lopez, guarantees Texans the water is safe for reuse. 'The contaminants things that are like that are biological or heavy metals, those have all been removed,' she said. 'The things that would make a water be considered dangerous have been removed.' Her team has worked for years on several studies to ensure the water can be used for irrigation and building projects. Her team follows a six-step process, and other partners such as New Mexico University and Texas Tech University have also tested the water's safety. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Raleigh County man pleads guilty to COVID-era business loan fraud
beckley – A Raleigh County man is awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court after entering a guilty plea for theft of government money. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing on June 2 in which Ross Jay Bailey, 50, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty to obtaining a $2 million loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for his business and then converting at least $1.4 million in funds to 'his personal enrichment,' states a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. On or about June 30, 2020, Bailey obtained a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan for his business, R&R Delivery Service Inc. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses that were experiencing 'financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic,' according to court documents and statements made in court 'Bailey successfully applied to increase the loan amount in August 2021 to $500,000 and in February 2022 to the $2 million maximum. Bailey certified that he would use all loans proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic,' states the news release. Court officials said Bailey admitted that he transferred at least $1.4 million of the EIDL proceeds from his business's bank account to his personal bank account from on or about March 1, 2022, through on or about May 31, 2022, as a condition of his guilty please. 'Bailey further admitted that he converted these funds into purchases of stock and cryptocurrency for his personal enrichment,' the release continues. Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes at least $1.5 million in restitution, with a final amount to be determined by the Court. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General, the US Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the West Virginia State Auditor's Office Public Integrity and Fraud Unit. Bailey's brother, Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, pleaded guilty on May 7 to theft of government money. Ryan Keith Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the CARES Act for his business and instead converted nearly all of the proceeds for his personal use. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 12. Mark William Bailey, 52, of Beckley and a cousin of Ross Jay Bailey and Ryan Keith Bailey, pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2023, to theft of government money, after he admitted he stole approximately $451,237.51 in SBA loans he obtained through the CARES Act. On October 25, 2024, Mark William Bailey was sentenced to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, and paid $451,237.51 in restitution and an additional $451,237.98 as a civil penalty to settle False Claims Act allegations. NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force, which was created to promote transparency and facilitate oversight of the federal government's COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC's 20 member Inspectors General identify risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, which includes funds awarded via the Paycheck Protection and EIDL programs. This case was also supported by the PRAC's Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at


Axios
42 minutes ago
- Axios
Democrats target farmers on Trump's DOGE cuts
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will hold a "shadow hearing" Thursday to draw a direct link between President Trump's plans to cut foreign assistance and the farmers that sell their crops to the programs. Why it matters: Democrats are looking for ways to make Trump's DOGE and budget plans uncomfortable for farm state Republicans and want to appeal directly to their constituents. The Trump administration has called for deep spending reductions for international food programs run by the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture. Those programs buy agricultural products from U.S. farmers to the tune of $2 billion a year, according to Shaheen. Some farm state Republicans have questioned administration st officials about programs like Food for Peace. Zoom out: Democrats are trying to broaden their case against the Trump administration's budget, which will receive its first official vote this week, when the House brings up Trump's rescissions package, which cuts funding for NPR, PBS and USAID. Zoom in: On Thursday, Shaheen, the ranking member on the foreign relations committee, and Klobuchar, the ranking member of the agriculture subcommittee on nutrition and forestry will host a group of experts to detail the effect of the cuts to foreign aid on U.S. farmers.