LARRY PROVOST: Congress Needs To DOGE Itself

While the Executive Branch has justifiably received a lot of attention regarding the decisions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there is another branch that could use DOGE even more; an entity that by its very actions made DOGE necessary.

That branch is the United States Congress and, if it wishes to regain any credibility, as well as strengthen America’s credit rating and further a sound dollar, Congress needs to DOGE itself.

Executive Departments would not have become so bloated without congressional appropriations of the money of the American people.

Members of Congress likely do not tell their children to spend money they do not have, so they should not as guardians of the people’s dollars spend more money than they take in. Unfortunately, they have done the opposite and at ever increasing levels.

To combat this, the people of the United States should demand that every candidate for Congress pledge to make it a top priority to pass a Constitutional Amendment that the Legislative branch, including staffers, do not get paid during a government shutdown and during a year where there is not a balanced budget. Further, there will be no back pay. There will be no way for Congress to put a stop to its monstrous spending unless this happens because even if members of Congress are wealthy, their staffers are not and members will feel the heat for not doing their collective job.

Congressional salary is the subject of one Constitutional Amendment, the 27th.

A DOGE Amendment should be the next one. The only exceptions to this proposal, clearly spelled out in the amendment, are during times of actual declared war (not congressional authorizations for the use of military force) or a 2/3 vote of both, full houses of Congress.