MAGA Republicans are not playing around.
A group of conservative lawmakers from both the House and Senate is urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to reject any efforts to limit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the upcoming spending negotiations, as the March 14 deadline for a potential government shutdown quickly approaches.
This group, including several prominent fiscal conservatives, is also throwing their support behind a clean stopgap measure to keep the government funded through the rest of the fiscal year—something they’ve previously opposed.
In a letter to GOP leadership, including Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Thune, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.), along with other conservative voices, expressed their concerns. The lawmakers made it clear that they are alarmed by reports of Democrat demands to continue the status quo of reckless spending. “We are deeply troubled by any attempts to extend wasteful spending without meaningful reforms,” they wrote.
The group, many of whom have consistently voted against short-term funding bills in favor of more comprehensive appropriations measures, made a strong statement: “We cannot allow any government funding legislation to undermine the President’s constitutional authority to manage taxpayer dollars effectively.”
In an unusual shift, this coalition of conservatives has agreed to support a clean continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. However, they are adamant about one thing: They will not accept any provision that would restrict DOGE’s ability to continue its work on reducing federal waste and streamlining government operations.
The letter was signed by 19 other Republicans, including Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.). The group stressed that any attempt to “weaponize” government funding against President Trump or his mission to reduce waste must be categorically rejected.
Scott, who now chairs the Republican Senate Steering Committee, emphasized that these conservatives are ready to collaborate with leadership to avoid a shutdown. However, they made it clear that any proposal to restrict the President’s ability to reform the government would face strong opposition. “We will not support any funding package that hinders President Trump’s efforts to fulfill his promises to the American people,” they wrote.
Speaker Johnson also voiced his opposition to such measures, stating during a recent Fox News appearance, “We will not allow Democrats to use this as an opportunity to restrict the President’s authority or limit his efforts to cut government waste. That’s a nonstarter.”
As the March 14 deadline looms, Republicans will need at least some Democratic support to pass a spending bill in the Senate, which requires 60 votes to avoid a shutdown. Despite this, the majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate are united in their stance against limiting DOGE’s power to tackle federal waste. This could lead to intense negotiations as both sides look to avoid the consequences of a shutdown while navigating their ideological differences on government efficiency and spending priorities.