Sen. Chuck Schumer Wants to Reverse DOGE Cuts, Take Spending Even Higher [WATCH]

House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday he plans to push for restoring federal funding cut by the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and indicated he would support increasing funding beyond previous levels for some programs.

Schumer made the remarks when asked whether he would work to replenish funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development during a forum hosted by the Center for American Progress.

His comments come as Congress continues negotiations over federal spending levels for fiscal year 2026 and as debate continues over spending reductions advanced by Republicans through DOGE.

“If you look at the budget we’re working on right now, we restore most of the cuts. And even go higher than previous years on many of the programs that DOGE slashed,” Schumer said.

“We have worked really hard and gotten bipartisan support to increase these amounts and undo a lot of the cuts which are essential,” he added.

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Schumer did not specify which HUD programs he hopes to see restored or expanded. Lawmakers have not yet released the final legislative text for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026.

However, the Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed a plan that would increase funding for the bill by $5 billion compared with fiscal year 2025 levels.

The spending debate follows a series of reductions implemented through DOGE since President Donald Trump’s administration began advancing cost-cutting measures aimed at reducing federal spending.

Democrats, including Schumer, have criticized the cuts, arguing they reduce government services and resources.

Republicans have defended the effort as a necessary step to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs.

According to DOGE’s website, the initiative estimates it has eliminated $215 billion in waste across the federal government.

Of that total, Republicans made $115 billion in spending reductions official through legislation passed last year.

That bill represented the largest formal package of DOGE-related cuts approved by Congress to date.

Since the passage of that legislation, lawmakers have not advanced an additional rescissions package.

Rescissions bills allow Congress to fast-track spending reductions requested by the president, but no further packages have moved forward amid broader budget negotiations and other legislative priorities.

Despite the lack of new legislation, Republicans involved in DOGE-related efforts say cost-cutting initiatives remain active behind the scenes.

Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chairman of the House DOGE Caucus, said in December that the effort to reduce federal spending is ongoing.

“DOGE is still alive,” Bean told Fox News Digital. “We’re going to get it rocking. I think that will come down the road.”

Bean said recent events have delayed additional action, pointing to competing priorities that have dominated Congress in recent months.

“I think, you know, the shutdown set everybody back a little bit. These credits, with the budget, with everything,” Bean said, referring to the COVID-era Obamacare tax credits that were central to the 2025 government shutdown.

The dispute over HUD funding highlights the broader divide between Democrats and Republicans over the scope and pace of federal spending reductions.

Democrats have continued to press for restoring funding to programs they argue are critical, while Republicans have maintained that fiscal discipline is necessary to rein in government spending.

As appropriators work toward finalizing the fiscal year 2026 budget, the future of HUD funding and other programs affected by DOGE cuts remains unresolved.

Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming months as lawmakers attempt to balance competing priorities amid ongoing debate over the federal government’s role and spending levels.

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