logo
Moskowitz says DOGE caucus is dead: ‘A complete failure'

Moskowitz says DOGE caucus is dead: ‘A complete failure'

Yahoo14-05-2025

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said in a new interview that the House DOGE Caucus — originally intended to complement Elon Musk's work at the White House — is now completely defunct.
'The DOGE caucus is dead. It's defunct,' Moskowitz said in a Politico interview, published in Q&A form on Tuesday.
'We haven't met in months,' he continued. 'We only had two total meetings in five months.'
Moskowitz, in December, became the first Democrat to join the House DOGE Caucus, which was formed to support efforts by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to find waste and fraud in the federal government.
At the time, Moskowitz pushed back against criticism from fellow Democrats, saying, 'The time for staying in safe spaces is over,' and 'We got to go to where the conversations are happening.'
By February, though, Moskowitz said that while the group had been having some good discussions, they were not looped into Musk's efforts at DOGE, as they were told they would be.
'It doesn't appear to be any communication between what Elon is doing and the caucus. It seems Congress is behind and being left out,' Moskowitz said in February.
Three months later, Moskowitz said he still has not heard anything from Musk's DOGE.
'We weren't involved at all in anything [happening at DOGE], which Elon was in charge of. Zero. Zilch. Nada. [Musk] did it all on his own,' Moskowitz said in the Politico interview.
Moskowitz, who had expressed an openness to making some cuts to boost efficiency, lamented what he views as the failures of the DOGE commission.
'DOGE was a complete failure. Complete failure. Nothing has been made more efficient,' Moskowitz told Politico.
'Ask the people in Newark… how efficiency is going,' he added, referring to the airport, which has suffered significant delays and staffing shortages in recent weeks.
Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), a DOGE Caucus co-chair, told Politico in a statement that they are 'just getting started.'
'Congress can enact long-term change, and our 100 committed members and eight specialized working groups are working to codify critical reforms and preparing legislation that will unlock savings for the American people,' Bean said in the statement.
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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

Israeli officials to meet with Witkoff as tensions grow in Middle East
Israeli officials to meet with Witkoff as tensions grow in Middle East

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Israeli officials to meet with Witkoff as tensions grow in Middle East

Senior Israeli officials plan to meet with a top U.S. envoy this week to clarify their government's views on Iran, an Israeli official said Thursday, as concerns grow that Israel may soon carry out military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The gathering is part of a flurry of conversations and moves taking place in Washington and the Middle East in response to the possibility of an Israeli attack — including the withdrawal of many U.S. diplomats from certain posts. The Israeli officials — Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and David Barnea, the chief of the Mossad spy agency — are expected to travel Friday. They'll see Steve Witkoff, a top envoy of President Donald Trump. The statement from the Israeli official did not say where the meeting would be held. Witkoff is expected to be in Oman on Sunday for nuclear talks with Iranian officials. On Wednesday, Israel's ambassador to the United States went to the White House for conversations, according to a person familiar with the events. A spokesperson for the White House declined to provide immediate comment. The Israeli official and the person familiar with the events were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the developments. Iran's defense minister also threatened Wednesday to strike American bases in the region if negotiations over Iran's nuclear program fail and conflict with the U.S. arises. The United States has been pulling many of its diplomats and their families out of key locations in the Middle East that could face threats if the long-simmering tensions between Iran and Israel erupt. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday also authorized the voluntary departures of the families and dependents of U.S. service members stationed at bases in the Middle East. Military personnel, however, will not be pulled at this time. The U.S. announced Thursday that its government employees and their families in Israel 'are restricted from traveling outside' the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva areas until further notice. 'The situation remains complex and may change rapidly,' the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said in a statement. Eli Stokols and Eric Bazail-Eimil contributed to this report.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Mocks Politicians for Being Surprised Voters Are ‘Using Our Middle Finger' With Protests
Arnold Schwarzenegger Mocks Politicians for Being Surprised Voters Are ‘Using Our Middle Finger' With Protests

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Arnold Schwarzenegger Mocks Politicians for Being Surprised Voters Are ‘Using Our Middle Finger' With Protests

As protests continue over ICE raids in Los Angeles and more, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't think politicians should be surprised. According to the former California governor, pushback is the only logical outcome, given their actions. Schwarzenegger stopped by 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Wednesday night in support of the new season of his show 'FUBAR' on Netflix, but before anything else, he and the ABC host got into politics. Looking back on Schwarzenegger's time as governor, Kimmel joked 'Remember when you were the governor and everything was pretty good? Everything was — everybody seemed pretty happy back then, huh?' Schwarzenegger retorted that even now, people are happy around him, just because of who he is. But, speaking seriously, he turned his attention to the protests in Los Angeles, saying they wouldn't even be happening if politicians just actually worked on solving issues. 'For decades, almost four decades, we have had a problem where they talked about immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform,' Schwarzenegger said. 'But the Democrats and the Republicans, both of the parties, have no interest in solving this problem, because they use that to raise money.' 'And so what they do is they just keep pointing the finger at each other, and then they're surprised if all of a sudden we are using our middle finger on them, right?' he continued. The actor also lamented that the severity and reach of the protests is being exaggerated by both media and the Trump administration. 'They make it out to like it is a war zone, the whole Los Angeles, the whole city or the county,' Schwarzenegger said. 'And the fact of the matter is, maybe 0.001% of the area of Los Angeles has problems, and there's a protest.' 'And so I think that this is important for people to know, because I don't want all of a sudden, tourism to suffer in Los Angeles, because what they see on television,' Schwarzenegger continued, with Kimmel agreeing. 'Because the media sometimes shows it as if the whole Los Angeles is a big war zone, which isn't really the case.' You can watch Arnold Schwarzenegger's full appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in the video above. The post Arnold Schwarzenegger Mocks Politicians for Being Surprised Voters Are 'Using Our Middle Finger' With Protests | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Live updates: Pritzker testifies before Congress on Illinois sanctuary laws
Live updates: Pritzker testifies before Congress on Illinois sanctuary laws

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Live updates: Pritzker testifies before Congress on Illinois sanctuary laws

The Brief Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is testifying Thursday morning in front of a House committee about the state's sanctuary laws. Pritzker has said some GOP committee members want to question him "for a dog-and-pony show." The hearing could serve as another opportunity for Pritzker to position himself as a top contender in the Democratic Party. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Gov. JB Pritzker is set to testify before a U.S. House committee on Thursday morning about the state's "sanctuary" laws aimed at limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Pritzker, along with fellow Democratic governors Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York, appeared in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The entire hearing is being streamed live in the media player at the top of this story. 9:34 a.m. - Pritzker addresses the busloads of migrants that Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas sent to Chicago starting in August 2022. "Illinois chose a different path. Faced with a humanitarian crisis, our state made sure children and families did not go hungry or freeze to death," Pritzker said. 9:30 a.m. - Pritzker begins opening remarks: "I have seen firsthand how states have had to shoulder the consequences of a broken immigration system. I'm proud of how we've and compassionate immigration policies I believe are vital." Pritzker then recounted his family history, the arrival of his great-grandfather escaping pogroms and coming to Chicago. It feels like Pritzker might utilize this moment to introduce himself to a national audience who might not be familiar with him. 9:24 a.m. - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), similar to his role in the Brandon Johnson hearing, hyped up Pritzker's investments and leadership in Illinois. 9:21 a.m. - During Lynch's opening remarks, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for Governor there, walks out and puts his finger to his head, mouthing the word "crazy." The political context of these hearings is inescapable: Chairman Comer is running as a Republican for Governor of Kentucky. Donald is running in Florida. Pritzker and Walz may be running for president. There will be fundraising pitches based upon the content today. 9:15 a.m. - Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) follows Chairman Comer, condemning the Trump administration's mass deportation policies. Lynch used his opening remarks to tie the hearing to the "militarization of American cities" under Trump and the administration's deportation of young U.S. citizens with undocumented parents. 9:07 a.m. - Hearing begins as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer opens the meeting with opening statements on "dangerous sanctuary policies." "Let me clear, sanctuary policies don't protect Americans. They protect criminal illegals," Comer said. 8:56 a.m. - Pritzker has entered the building. 8:50 a.m. - Members of the Illinois House Freedom Caucus are in attendance for Pritzker's remarks. 8:40 a.m. 8:25 a.m. - Pritzker's office released his planned remarks hours ahead of the hearing. Among his talking points, Pritzker highlighted how Illinois mobilized quickly to offer shelter, food and services to over 50,000 migrants sent from the southern border without warning. Pritzker blamed both parties in Congress and the federal government for their failure to act. He also said that Illinois cooperates with federal authorities on criminal matters but won't misuse state resources for immigration enforcement that doesn't serve public safety. 8:12 a.m. - We are less than an hour away from the opening gavel. Pritzker, Walz and Hochul are expected to kick off the hearing with planned opening remarks. FOX 32's Paris Schutz laid out what he expects to hear from Pritzker's testimony. Hours ahead of the hearing, Pritzker released his planned opening remarks, which touched on how Illinois is handling the influx of immigrants and prioritizing public safety. Read his full remarks here. What we know The governor has said he believes some GOP members want to question him "for a dog-and-pony show" and who "simply want to grandstand in front of the cameras." He added, "I'm going there in a serious matter to give them my views about how we're managing through a problem that's been created for the state by the federal government." In a statement, Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Kentucky) said, "The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable." Back in March, the same committee hosted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with the mayors of Boston, Denver, and New York, to testify about the city's sanctuary policies. The national spotlight could also serve as a chance for Pritzker to further cement his status as a top potential contender for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028. The 60-year-old has not yet said if he'll run for re-election to the governorship in 2026. Pritzker has been garnering national headlines from calling out "do nothing Democrats" during a speech in New Hampshire, a key primary state, to appearing on late night talk shows. The governor, who is worth $3.7 billion per Forbes, is seen as a top contender for his party's nomination in 2028. He boasts a long list of progressive accomplishments in Illinois since he first took office in 2019, including codifying abortion rights, banning assault weapons, a big infrastructure funding plan, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and stabilizing the state's notoriously shaky finances. Dig deeper In 2017, Illinois enacted the TRUST Act under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The law bans local police from complying with federal requests to detain or arrest a person in the country illegally, unless ordered by a judge. Local law enforcement also cannot stop, search, or arrest anyone based solely on their immigration or citizenship status. In 2021, the state legislature passed laws expanding protections for immigrants in Illinois. The updated laws required local officials to end partnerships with ICE to detain immigrants. Lawmakers also prohibited officials from inquiring about the citizenship or immigration status of an individual in custody, unless they're presented with a federal criminal warrant. Among other measures, the state legislature also required state and local law enforcement agencies to report requests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Despite the moves to protect migrants from potential arrests and deportations, Republicans have criticized the policies. U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican who represents much of the rural cental parts of the state, called on local sheriffs earlier this year to defy the state's sanctuary laws. She said such policies have turned Illinois into a "cesspool of crime and drugs."

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