Rep. Tom Cole Says DOGE Is ‘Pretty Responsive’ to His Concerns

On a telephone town hall with constituents, the senior appropriator said lawmakers can get results by flagging issues with the Department of Government Efficiency.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole told constituents with concerns about government-slashing efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency that he’d been able to get it to change course when it set its sights on projects related to his district.

He said he’d been able to get results by flagging issues to DOGE like any other agency, adding that while it’s made “some mistakes” in its efforts to cut spending, it had reversed course in at least one instance when his office brought an issue to its attention.

“We’ve found, at least, if you work it just like you would any other government agency, they can be pretty responsive,” Cole said in his telephone town hall on Thursday.