Rep. Nick Begich spoke to constituents at an open house earlier this week, and not surprisingly, the Alaska Republican was confronted by some suddenly unemployed constituents who’d been laid off from their federal jobs. One local resident, referring to the Trump administration’s cuts being implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk, told the congressman, “I just don’t understand how these budget cuts are helpful to any Alaskans or their communities.”
The Alaskan added, “I’m just wondering what you plan to do about this.”
As an audio clip from Judd Legum’s Popular Information showed, Begich replied that he was “not in a position to approve or deny the cuts.”
To be sure, Begich is not the most powerful member on Capitol Hill. In fact, he was only sworn into office last month. But he is a member of Congress; Congress still has the power of the purse; and in a chamber with a vanishingly small House GOP majority, the freshman congressman has options he could try in pursuit of his goals. Begich, however, apparently feels powerless as the White House and Trump’s top campaign donor gradually dismantle the federal government.
There’s a lot of this sort of sentiment going around. In fact, the day after Begich told a constituent he’s “not in a position” to help, Sen. Chuck Grassley said roughly the same thing. The Iowa Republican, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Congress is effectively powerless in the face of DOGE’s cuts.
“Congress can’t do anything except complain,” the longest-serving GOP senator in American history declared.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, added fresh comments to weeks’ worth of complaints about Musk and his dubious authority. Politico reported:
The senior Republican senator negotiating a deal to avoid a government shutdown in less than one month says the Trump administration might be breaking the law — and flouting the U.S. Constitution. As Elon Musk and the White House budget office seek to block spending that has already been approved by Congress, ‘I think it’s pretty clear that this violates Article I of the Constitution,’ said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in an interview.
The Maine Republican went on to say that if Musk, Trump, DOGE and the White House continue on their current trajectory, she would expect to “see lawsuits.” Collins added, “A lot of these issues are going to end up in court.”
That’s largely true. In fact, there are already all kinds of lawsuits, and the underlying questions are already being adjudicated in the courts.
But what members of Congress really ought to appreciate is that there are three branches of government; they serve in one of them; and there’s no reason the fight needs to be limited to the judiciary.
If Collins, for example, believes the White House and DOGE are exceeding their legal authority and operating outside our constitutional framework, she could hold a hearing. She could subpoena Musk and the quasi-governmental department he ostensibly leads. She could file a lawsuit of her own. She could file an amicus brief in support of plaintiffs. She could introduce legislation. She could place holds on nominees. She could threaten to vote against key bills and nominees until her concerns are addressed.
Collins is, after all, the head of one of Capitol Hill’s most powerful committees. If she has genuine concerns — and by all appearances, she does — the GOP senator need not wait for judges to intervene. She could intervene, leveraging her considerable influence.
The larger point is not to single out Collins. Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he’s not leveraging his power, either, despite his own stated public concerns. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee; he doesn’t seem too pleased with the administration’s position on Ukraine; and he also isn’t using his influence. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; he’s expressed concerns related to health care policy; and we’re also not seeing any hearings or subpoenas from his office.
Some senators wait many years to become committee chairs, knowing that once they have a gavel, they’ll have powers that other members do not. The question these GOP committee chairs must ask themselves is what the point of having the gavel is if they’re not going to use it.
It’s not a matter of power; it’s a matter of will.
