Some Republicans fear a DOGE dilemma is setting in

Washington CNN — As Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy make sweeping promises to cut $2 trillion dollars of federal spending, senior House Republicans have raised concerns with GOP leadership that efforts to cut wasteful federal spending will put the party on a collision course. “What I’m hearing is good, aspirational stuff, but the stuff that they’re talking about, the specifics: they’re tiny, low hanging fruit.” Despite their concerns about the roadblocks ahead, GOP lawmakers have made the case directly to Musk and Ramaswamy that they have to work with Congress, not around them, multiple sources told CNN, even as Trump is showing signs that he wants to test the waters of making spending decisions unilaterally by reinstating the team who unsuccessfully helped him try to do so the first time. “I wish them all the best, and I mean that sincerely, but then you got to figure out how to build the bridge to actually make it happen in government, since right now, while ‘doggie’ is a great concept, there is a lot of people asking correctly, so how am I going to do that?” GOP Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, told CNN. “It’s always tough in the beginning, and then once you get through it, everything is bigger and stronger.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who is in regular contact with Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy, told CNN, “There’s just so much potential.” Fog hovers over the dome of the U.S. Capitol on December 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. GOP Rep. Max Miller of Ohio, who claimed that all stakeholders involved want the same thing echoed, “They have no choice but to work with us, they have to.” And GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the incoming Senate Appropriations chairwoman for the next Congress, told CNN ahead of her one-on-one meeting with Musk, “To me, that violates the separation of powers.” Still, Collins said Thursday she was “impressed” by Musk after her meeting with him last week.