The Josh Lafazan Show

The Josh Lafazan Show on YouTube - Episode 127

Episode Notes

Trump Wants Congress to Make DOGE Cuts PERMANENT - $9.4 Billion in Programs Could Be Slashed

The Josh Lafazan Show on YouTube - Episode 127

Welcome back to The Josh Lafazan Show. Today’s episode dives deep into what might be the most consequential spending battle of the year — Congress is on the verge of voting to make the controversial DOGE cuts permanent, a move that could eliminate billions in funding for critical global and domestic programs. At the same time, Trump’s highly touted “big, beautiful” budget bill is advancing in the Senate. And the two efforts — though officially separate — are increasingly entangled in a political mess that could blow up both.

Let’s start with DOGE. While Elon Musk may have left the Trump administration, his old initiative — the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — is trying to leave behind a legacy. The White House has sent Congress a $9.4 billion rescissions package, asking lawmakers to claw back funds from programs they already approved. This includes $8.3 billion in foreign aid — targeting climate initiatives, gender equity programs, and LGBTQ+ human rights abroad — and another $1.1 billion cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR and PBS.

These cuts are more than just symbolic. They strike at the heart of America’s global leadership efforts and the independence of public media — and both NPR and PBS are already suing the administration over a May executive order aimed at shutting off their federal funding.

The White House insists this is necessary belt-tightening. They claim it aligns with Republican priorities and offers a concrete demonstration that the party is serious about reining in spending. But they’re also reportedly considering a second, more aggressive route — impoundment, a controversial maneuver that would allow the executive branch to withhold funds without Congressional approval. That would almost certainly spark a legal battle with the legislative branch.

And this is all happening at the same time as the Senate is trying to move forward with Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill — a sprawling tax and spending overhaul that has drawn sharp criticism from both moderates and conservatives.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is now juggling two volatile pieces of legislation. One group of Republican senators — like Joni Ernst — is encouraging the party to move quickly on both packages. But critics warn that advancing the DOGE cuts while debating a separate budget bill will only deepen internal fractures.

Making matters worse, Stephen Miller posted on social media to “clarify” that the budget bill and the DOGE cuts are separate — stating that the “big, beautiful” bill focuses on welfare reform and tax cuts and is not a traditional budget bill. But his comments only added to the confusion, especially after Senator Rand Paul went public accusing the bill of adding $5 trillion to the national debt. Paul, a fiscal hawk, says he won’t vote for any package that increases the deficit — and he’s not alone. Senator Ron Johnson has echoed these concerns, warning that the GOP is losing credibility on fiscal responsibility.

And then came the curveball: Elon Musk, the man who created DOGE, is now opposing Trump’s budget bill. Musk argues the bill’s massive spending undercuts everything DOGE was trying to achieve. This is especially awkward since Republicans are relying on Musk’s legacy to justify the cuts — yet Musk himself is blasting the broader fiscal plan as wasteful and hypocritical.

This leaves GOP leadership with an impossible puzzle:

With Trump’s base growing restless, Elon Musk off the reservation, and Democrats lining up to fight the cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid, this legislative gamble could easily implode. If either the DOGE cuts or the budget bill falters, it would deal a serious blow to the GOP’s credibility heading into the midterms.

Today’s episode breaks it all down — the details of the proposed cuts, the political landmines in both the House and Senate, and the broader question: Are Republicans capable of governing once they take power? The early signs aren’t encouraging. So far, Trump has signed just five bills into law — the fewest in modern presidential history.

Tune in for a full breakdown of the chaos in Washington, and what it means for the future of public funding, foreign aid, the deficit, and the power struggles defining this GOP majority.

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