Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) appeared on CNN’s “CNN Newsroom” on Thursday to ridicule the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, labeling the agency “unconstitutional and illegal.”
“As you know, they never asked to see me, but seizing funds appropriated by Congress is unconstitutional and illegal.” Logfren, a former lawyer, told anchor Jim Acosta in a video highlighted by Mediate.
“There is no such government efficiency department. It’s made up. Good luck,” she added.
Her comments came hours before Ramaswamy and Musk joined House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at the Capitol for a meeting with House Republicans.
DOGE was created to “reduce wasteful spending” and help restructure government. But Lofgren said President-elect Trump’s plan must pass through Congress before it can be approved by law.
“If President Trump has a plan he wants to propose to Congress, he should send it to us, but the Constitution does not allow the president to simply avoid doing what Congress has done: putting the power of the money in the hands of the legislature. “I’m not the president,” he said.
