Why DOGE is NOT enough to cut costs

Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have made major headlines for slashing ineffective government agencies — but Daniel Horowitz, Blaze host of “Conservative Review with Daniel Horowitz,” believes much more is needed.

“What we have seen the last five weeks or so is a vision of what could be,” Horowitz tells Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight.” “But what we’ve learned from the previous administration is that in order to sort of stick the landing, you’ve got to codify this in the budget and you’ve got to get Congress on board.”

However, even some conservatives are getting in the way.

“Unfortunately, what we’re starting to see is that Mike Johnson is saying that he’s going to do a continuing resolution and put everything on autopilot from last year. Well, what happens to USAID, what happens to the cuts at the Department of Education?” Horowitz asks, adding, “So the problem is a lot of this stuff is not enduring because Congress just goes and refunds it.”

“Obviously, we all agree it’s worthwhile to go after overpayments in programs,” he continues, “the problem we have with inflation being driven by the deficits, that is not in part, or you know, really significantly the result of overpayments or DEI or wasteful programs.”

Rather, he explains, that “it’s the scope of the federal involvement in transportation, agriculture, health care.”

“If we don’t fundamentally reform health care, fundamentally devolve entire programs, the states eliminate entire programs, it’s not really going to cut the deficit,” he says.

While Horowitz has his doubts, Peterson is optimistic.

He tells Horowitz, “I would say, right now, I’m perfectly fine with punting a little bit if it’s for a few months, just to keep this thing going, and to start, because I’m increasingly confident that various parts of the Trump administration, DOGE are going to be increasingly taking action to both educate the public, prepare for the sort of cuts, and restructuring that we actually need.”

“Of course, if we don’t do that, I’ll be yelling along with everyone else, but right now, the signs look fairly good,” he adds.

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