GOP lawmakers concerned about DOGE firings, but most support effort

As the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, implements sweeping cuts across the federal government, Republican lawmakers are worried about the impact on jobs and industry in their states. 

But very few are directly criticizing President Trump or DOGE’s leader, Elon Musk, and are instead taking a quieter approach. But the concerns raised nonetheless underscore the clash between shrinking government and parochial interests. 

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was hearing from so many constituents concerned about cuts to the federal workforce in her state that she decided to host a tele town hall Wednesday night, which she said over 1,000 people attended. 

Alaska has one of the largest federal workforces per capita in the country, with public land management a significant focus. Murkowski said the concerns at the town hall ranged from the impact on preparedness for wildland fires to staffing national parks to the ruthless treatment of employees.

“The abrupt terminations that we have seen for those have really been detrimental,” she said, adding that she took her concerns to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “The problem is, they’re going to require that all these people who were terminated reapply, so they have to go back to usa.gov and go through the application process, which, if you haven’t done it, is a multi-month process. Parks are opening up in a couple months here, and so I’m concerned.” Additionally, she said, cuts to the Bureau of Land Management could slow permitting for Mr. Trump’s energy initiatives. 

The Alaska senator said she supports eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government, “but there is a way that we go about it, and we do it within the confines of the law and the rules that are out there…when you’re dealing with employees, there is a right way and a really not so right way to treat them.” 

Maine Republican Susan Collins, another moderate senator, said she’s also worried about the impact on national parks in her state, as well as on biomedical research. 

“I think many of these firings are indiscriminate,” she said. “We should wait until Cabinet members are confirmed and can take a careful look at their agencies’ needs, rather than doing these sweeping indiscriminate cuts. The fact that workers were let go who are working on avian flu, and the fact that workers have also been fired who are responsible for nuclear safety, shows that we need a far more careful approach. 

Earlier this month, as the administration began to dismantle USAID, Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “distribute the $340 million in American-grown food currently stalled in U.S. ports to reach those in need.”

Moran, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, also said he raised his concerns with the White House. “U.S. food aid feeds the hungry, bolsters our national security & provides an important market for our farmers, especially when commodity prices are low,” he said on X. He later said the State Department approved his request to distribute the stalled food aid.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall partnered with Moran to move USAID’s Food for Peace program — of particular interest to Kansas farmers — under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture. 

“To me, this is all about saving American taxpayers money, and so I fully support pauses in these programs,” Marshall told CBS News. “I think it’s time to get rid of some of the agencies we have, over 400 agencies in this federal government, over 2 million employees outside of what we have in the military. So I think it’s time for consolidation.” 

Lawmakers have also taken notice of the layoffs at the National Institute of Health. “Every cent of hard-earned taxpayer money should be spent efficiently, judiciously, and accountability — without exception,” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt told AL.com. “While the administration works to achieve this goal at NIH, a smart, targeted approach is needed in order to not hinder life-saving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama.” 

Most other Republicans remain supportive of DOGE’s mission. North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis said he’s making sure FEMA and disaster aid isn’t disrupted in his state, which has recently been ravaged by storms. But overall, he said, he agrees with the approach. 

“I actually believe they are doing this because they’re sick of trying to get answers to legitimate questions about where we can be efficient, and the way to force people to justify investments on exceptions is to shut everything down,” Tillis said. “I know it’s disruptive, but I think they need to have the capacity to bring things back online that make sense.” 

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin also defended the administration’s cost-cutting efforts. He pointed to the nation’s burgeoning debt as a national security issue that requires “difficult choices”.  

“Any member is going to be particularly upset about some cuts that may be happening in our backyard,” Mullin told CBS News. “Look what’s happened to FAA? You know, in Oklahoma City, we had the training facility for our air traffic controllers, right? That’s a concern, and Sean Duffy and I’ve had conversations. But at the same time, we have the responsibility to the taxpayers and American people to get our financials, our financial burdens, in order.”

Florida Senator Rick Scott said he doesn’t believe Musk and his DOGE team are moving too quickly. 

“It’s what I did when I was governor. It’s what I did in my business life,” said Scott. “You go through and you’re constantly looking at how to spend your money better. So, it’s what they ought to be doing. It’s what everybody ought to be doing. Every- you know, everybody ought to be going through the budget and saying, ‘how can we save money’?”

Grace Kazarian and Emily Hung contributed to this report.