Texas recently launched its own version of DOGE—the Delivery of Government Efficiency House committee. While some state lawmakers have expressed concerns that the committee aims to replicate mass firings and budget cuts seen at the federal level, its members told the Texas Tribune they will focus on other priorities—for now.
Comprising eight Republicans and five Democrats, committee members will hear public testimony on legislative proposals assigned to them and decide whether the bills will make it to the House floor. As of Friday, 32 legislative proposals have already been assigned to the committee.
During DOGE's first hearing on Wednesday, its members expressed their commitment to reducing the size of the state government and identifying inefficiencies.
"At times, we will use a scalpel, carefully dissecting inefficiencies to make government work smarter. At other times, we will wield a sledgehammer, tearing down systemic waste and corruption that may have gone unchallenged," said Committee Chair Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake.
Capriglione told the Texas Tribune that the committee intends to make long-term operational changes, focusing first on modernizing state technology systems and auditing agencies. When asked about statewide staff cuts, Capriglione said the DOGE committee doesn't have the authority to directly terminate employees, but cuts could happen through funding reductions in the future.
While Texas already has the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, which is responsible for reviewing inefficiencies within state agencies, the existing commission only performs periodic reviews of select agencies during each legislative session.
Former Democratic state representative and past member of the Texas Sunset Commission Poncho Nevárez told the Texas Tribune that DOGE could help fill the gaps whenever an agency is not scheduled to be reviewed.
As Elon Musk spearheads a crusade to slash federal government spending under the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, some Texas lawmakers have described his initiative as a "good idea," while others have labeled it as "terrifying."
Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, one of the Democratic committee members, told the Texas Tribune that she would be "the fiercest fighter" against efforts to replicate what DOGE is doing in Washington, D.C.
Under Musk's leadership, more than 30,000 federal employees have been fired from their positions. While Trump has congratulated the billionaire for his dedication to DOGE, experts from a wide spectrum of fields have criticized the mass firing of highly specialized workers, some of whom have been requested to return.
As of Friday, DOGE's website claims to have saved the federal government $105 billion and $652.17 per taxpayer. Among the most recent cuts: a $56,000 contract to water eight plants for five years, followed by "247 cancellations of wasteful contracts—with a ceiling value of $999M and savings of $390M, including a $3.5M Dept. of VA consulting contract for outsourced 'enterprise mail management program support services.'"
Texas DOGE committee members expressed their commitment to bipartisanship during the Wednesday hearing. Republican Rep. David Cook claimed that the federal government's DOGE initiative was a "really good idea," adding that the Texas DOGE differentiates itself due to the inclusion of elected officials.
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