Numerous states looking at their own version of DOGE

DOGE is all rage right now, and for various reasons.

After exposing fraud and waste within USAID, lawmakers around the country are looking to replicate DOGE within their states.

What is DOGE

Before taking office, Donald Trump toyed with the idea of putting Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk in charge of an agency that would look to cut government waste.

That agency was finally dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Ramaswamy bailed on Trump before he ever got started, but Musk went right to work, first looking at USAID, exposing apparent fraud, waste, and possible money laundering schemes.

Democrats immediately held a protest, why I have no idea, as exposing waste and fraud is a good thing, but lawmakers around the country started to take note.

DOGE Fever

Seeing DOGE committees pop up in red states makes sense, but that is not the only place where this new fever is catching on. For instance, lawmakers in New Jersey are putting for a proposal to start a DOGE in their state.

GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213, stating that "government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.

"Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline.”

Texas Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton also likes the idea, stating, "Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started. Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win."

Big Wins Already

DOGE was just halted by a judge, mostly on the basis that Elon Musk should not have access to data files that he was given by the Trump administration.

That, however, does not take away from the big win that DOGE has already scored.

Musk touched a nerve when he blew the doors off USAID, and Democrats are now scrambling to make this about something other than the blatant misspending and corruption that Musk has exposed.

I don’t know how things will work moving forward if Musk does not agree to undergo vetting for a security clearance. DOGE may wind up continuing, but it may have to do so without Musk because he appears hesitant to turn over his financials as part of the vetting process.