Ron DeSantis calls out Republicans in an eyebrow-raising rebuke
DeSantis is one of the top figures on the Right. But he’s not happy with his party right now.
And Ron DeSantis has called out Republicans in an eyebrow-raising rebuke.
DeSantis Calls on Congress to Embrace Florida’s “DOGE” Success and Slash Federal Waste
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing House Republicans to follow his state’s lead in adopting “DOGE”-style governance, urging them to act swiftly to eliminate government waste, fraud, and abuse as outlined by the executive branch’s efficiency initiative.
In a post on X, DeSantis praised the bold leadership of Elon Musk, who spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort despite facing intense backlash.
“Elon Musk took massive incoming – including attacks on his companies as well as personal smears, to lead the effort on DOGE,” DeSantis wrote on X. He expressed frustration with congressional Republicans, accusing them of abandoning meaningful spending cuts and instead fully funding programs like USAID.
“He became public enemy #1 of legacy media around the world. To see Republicans in Congress cast aside any meaningful spending reductions (and, in fact, fully fund things like USAID) is demoralizing and represents a betrayal of the voters who elected them,” DeSantis said.
.@elonmusk took massive incoming — including attacks on his companies as well as personal smears — to lead the effort on @DOGE.
He became public enemy #1 of legacy media around the world.
To see Republicans in Congress cast aside any meaningful spending reductions (and, in… https://t.co/vVWzgNDbmV
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 27, 2025
His comments echoed a post he shared from former government scientist Matt van Swol, who criticized Congress for failing to champion DOGE. Van Swol called the initiative “literally one of the most popular government initiatives in history,” noting that 73% of Americans support cutting government waste. “Trump brought in the smartest man on earth to do it… …the Left destroyed Elon for it …the GOP won’t vote on it I can’t believe this,” van Swol wrote.
Speaking on Tuesday, DeSantis highlighted Florida’s success in implementing DOGE-inspired policies, which he said have boosted affordability, reduced taxes, and eliminated waste in Tallahassee.
He pointed out that his administration paid down 41% of Florida’s 180-year accumulated state debt, leaving the average Floridian with just $400 in state debt compared to a staggering $105,000 in federal debt per person.
DeSantis didn’t hold back in criticizing Congress for its inaction, noting that Musk faced severe repercussions for supporting DOGE, including having his car dealerships “firebombed” and enduring relentless media attacks for advocating fiscal responsibility.
“And yet, we have a Republican Congress, and to this day, we’re in the end of May, past Memorial Day, and not one cent in DOGE cuts have been implemented by the Congress,” he said. He argued that this failure highlights the need for a balanced budget amendment and term limits for Congress, emphasizing that DOGE and Musk were always destined to clash with Washington’s entrenched interests.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a libertarian-leaning lawmaker, voiced similar frustrations, claiming that votes on DOGE’s proposed cuts were “cancelled” earlier in the month of May. However, a top aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed back.
“No votes on rescissions were cancelled this week. The Speaker has repeatedly expressed his commitment to save taxpayer funds via the rescissions process,” said press secretary Athina Lawson. She explained that, under law, Congress must receive a formal rescission request from the executive branch before acting.
House Republicans face procedural hurdles in advancing DOGE’s cuts. The recent “big beautiful bill” couldn’t include these reductions because Senate rules limit such legislation to mandatory spending.
To act, Republicans can either wait for a formal rescission request from Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, a Trump appointee, which requires only a simple majority to pass within 45 days, or pursue separate legislation through the appropriations process, which demands 60 votes in the Senate.
With Republicans holding 53 Senate seats and independents Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King caucusing with Democrats, the latter option faces steep challenges.
Despite these obstacles, Republicans have previously leveraged the appropriations process to pressure Democrats. The last major spending bill saw some Democrats break ranks with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., over government funding decisions.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
