logo
Here's what Texas DOGE talked about on day one

Here's what Texas DOGE talked about on day one

Yahoo08-03-2025

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.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Five-year Pappas campaign on fentanyl hits paydirt
Five-year Pappas campaign on fentanyl hits paydirt

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Five-year Pappas campaign on fentanyl hits paydirt

A bill permanently classifying fentanyl as one of the most dangerous drugs has been passed by Congress, marking the culmination of a five-year campaign by Rep. Chris Pappas, who proposed the measure. Pappas celebrates success of five-year bid to properly 'brand' fentanyl U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., spoke on the House floor Wednesday night in support of the Halt Fentanyl Act that once signed by President Donald Trump will permanently classify the drug under Schedule 1 making it among the most dangerous ones regulated by the federal government. The Halt Fentanyl Act, which designates fentanyl-related substances as a so-called Schedule 1 drug, will also likely lead to longer criminal sentences handed down under federal law for those who illegally sell the deadly drug. Schedule 1 drugs are defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as having "high abuse potential with no accepted medical use." In an interview, the New Hampshire Democrat said the change will make it easier for law enforcement in New Hampshire and across the country to go after drug dealers who alter the amount of fentanyl in street drugs sold to addicts. 'There is still a lot more work to do on this issue, but this is one important step as it would help law enforcement when (traffickers) change the recipe of what they are producing,' Pappas said. 'This will give police the latitude to make sure they are staying ahead of the cartels.' The bill would also place all copycat versions of fentanyl — alterations of the drug that are often sold by traffickers — as Schedule 1 drugs. The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to the measure Thursday afternoon, supporting minor changes that had been made in the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump has already indicated that he would sign it. The bipartisan legislation, has the co-sponsorship of New Hampshire Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, was identical to a separate bill Pappas had authored. In February 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary order that designated fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug for two years. Pappas authored legislation to extend that scheduling act further; without the new bill, the latest extension was to end on Sept. 30. Pappas said it took so long to get the permanent designation because some congressional leaders wanted to make it part of a comprehensive bill that would be linked to research into the manufacturing of painkilling alternatives to fentanyl, which for many years has been legally prescribed. ''There were larger discussions with law enforcement, and I think the decision was that this was too important an issue to have to wait any longer on,' Pappas said. The bill is backed by more than 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 family groups and law enforcement organizations representing more than a million officers. It also has the support of at least 25 attorneys general, including New Hampshire AG John Formella. Pappas is a member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus and he spoke on the House floor Wednesday night on the matter. 'Permanent scheduling will ensure law enforcement retains important tools they need to tackle the opioid crisis and hold traffickers accountable, tools that have helped drive down drug-related deaths in New Hampshire to its lowest level in 10 years,' Pappas said. 'This is thanks to New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck approach: pairing enforcement with treatment to bring down both the supply of opioids reaching our communities, as well as the demand for them.' klandrigan@

Kathy Hochul's defense of NY sanctuary laws was pathetic — because she has no good defense
Kathy Hochul's defense of NY sanctuary laws was pathetic — because she has no good defense

New York Post

time3 hours ago

  • New York Post

Kathy Hochul's defense of NY sanctuary laws was pathetic — because she has no good defense

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday got a well-deserved scolding from congressmen outraged over her efforts to protect illegal-immigrant criminals from ICE agents — and her responses were beyond pathetic, because she has no good defense. When New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik cited Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, an illegal immigrant who came to New York and is accused of fatally setting fire to a woman on an F train, Hochul didn't even know who he was. Advertisement Nor did she know the names of other notorious illegal immigrants who'd been in New York and are linked to horrific crimes. 'These are high-profile cases,' fumed Stefanik (who after this looks even more likely to run against Hochul next year): 'New Yorkers know about them — and you don't?' Nor could the gov bring herself to say that Tompkins County officials were wrong to release Romero-Hernandez, even though he had pleaded guilty to assault charges and was ordered deported — and ICE had asked for him to be held. Advertisement When ICE agents showed up to get him just a bit over an hour later, he was gone. Reps. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) blamed Hochul's policies for the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, noting that her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was nabbed in New York on child-endangerment charges — but quickly freed. They cited New York's Green Light law, which bars state officials from sharing drivers' info with federal officials, as well as its cashless-bail law. Advertisement And Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Executive Order 170, which Hochul chose to continue, prohibiting 'officers or employees, including law enforcement,' from disclosing 'information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of federal civil immigration enforcement,' unless expressly required by law. Hochul claimed her office does cooperate with federal authorities — but also admitted New York welcomes illegal immigrants with open arms, and has for 400 years. The problem, of course, is that unlike migrants of the past, illegal immigrants are, well, illegal: They have no right to be in America in the first place, yet President Joe Biden waved in millions nonetheless, mostly with little to no vetting. These border-jumpers effectively cut in front of those waiting to enter legally, cost taxpayers billions, overwhelmed schools and public services and take jobs from citizens. Advertisement And far too many feel free to commit the most heinous of crimes. Hochul seemed unfazed by all this and by lawmakers' fury — and that of the family members of illegal immigrants' victims. New Yorkers should be just as livid at they are.

Senator Padilla kicked out of press conference
Senator Padilla kicked out of press conference

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Senator Padilla kicked out of press conference

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles, where she was praising law enforcement for cracking down on protests against ICE raids. 'I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed,' said Padilla. Padilla said he wanted to question Noem. 'You can only imagine what they're doing to farmers to cooks to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,' said Padilla. Noem criticized the interruption during her immigration press conference praising law enforcement. 'I think everybody in America would, would agree that that was inappropriate,' said Noem. DHS called the move political theater and said Noem and Padilla met after for 15 minutes. Senate Democrats are up in arms over the removal of their colleague. 'This is something that we should not tolerate,' said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Democrats demanded an investigation and called out the action taken against the senator. 'If this is how a United States Senator can be treated, then none of us ultimately are immune,' said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). However, Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says what the senator did is against the law. 'It looked very aggressive. Looks like he was attacking the Secretary of Homeland Security. And, he was attacking police officers,' said Greene. Senate Republican Leader John Thune says they want the facts on what happened before issuing a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store