Republicans Question If MTG’s New DOGE Position Will Turn Her into a Leadership Ally or Cause Trouble
Certain Republicans are concerned in private that Greene may prove to be more of a distraction than a constructive supporter of the DOGE agenda.
TroibNews 
House Republicans are optimistic that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's new role in collaboration with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency will transform her into a leadership ally. However, concerns linger privately about her potentially becoming a political burden once again.
In a surprising development for some GOP lawmakers, the Georgia Republican is set to chair a new House Oversight subcommittee dedicated to DOGE, created by President-elect Donald Trump to aid in reducing government spending. Many have publicly supported Greene's appointment, highlighting her knack for challenging the status quo, her strong connections with Trump, and her substantial support from the party base as significant advantages for her new position.
On the other hand, there is apprehension among certain Republicans about Greene's tendency to be an incendiary figure and how that might detract from the DOGE agenda. One House Republican, who spoke anonymously, expressed concern that the role could be seen as “rewarding bad behavior.”
These worries stem from the belief that Greene's appointment is a way for party leadership to secure her support for Speaker Mike Johnson, who will need to gain approval from his conference in January to continue leading the House for another term. This week, Greene indicated her backing for Johnson’s speakership bid, despite having previously attempted to oust him in May.
“She came in to visit with me about the path forward and how she wanted to be part of the team, part of the solutions. And I welcome that,” Johnson stated in an interview, noting that House Oversight Chair James Comer of Kentucky selected her for the position without his prior knowledge. “There was no quid pro quo. We just decided that cooperation serves the country.”
This scenario reflects Johnson’s broader strategy within the House GOP. He is focused on keeping his critics aligned with him ahead of the upcoming speakership vote while managing the diverse ideological landscape of his conference that has an ambitious agenda on immigration, spending cuts, and taxes. Throughout this process, he aims to keep Trump and his allies, including Greene, content.
Some members of the party hope that this role will lead to Greene becoming more closely aligned with leadership, recalling her improved conduct when working alongside former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“If she is operating like she did with Speaker McCarthy, moving forward, she’s gonna be a pleasure to work with. If she goes back to how it was, then it’s probably gonna be a little bit more challenging. But I have faith … that she can go back and be a really productive member of the body,” Rep. Max Miller commented, a former Trump campaign aide and McCarthy ally, acknowledging that “the extra responsibility” might encourage her on a positive path.
However, Greene remains noncommittal about being a collaborative team member, expressing skepticism towards the notion.
“I’ve always faced criticism, but that’s also what makes me perfectly cut for this. And, you know, the team player approach — look, we’re in $36 trillion of debt because everybody played ball,” she remarked.
The Georgia Republican’s history is marked with controversies that have caused discomfort among her colleagues. She recently made headlines for suggesting, and later reaffirming, that Jews controlled the weather during Hurricane Helene’s impact on North Carolina and the southern states as elections approached, and she has faced allegations of racism following a confrontation with Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Greene has not yet revealed specific priorities for the new panel, stating she is still determining which committee witnesses to prioritize first. However, she mentioned that Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget “is a very worthy goal mark” she believes is “difficult” yet “attainable.”
She expressed an expectation for regular communication with Musk and Ramaswamy, having met with them during their visit to the Hill alongside Johnson.
Greene also highlighted several areas she is keen to investigate for waste, fraud, and abuse, including federal union contracts, the California rail project, Ukraine aid, questionable grants, NGOs assisting undocumented immigrants, and federal funding for gender-affirming surgery for minors. Additionally, she seeks to gather input from the American public regarding other possible areas of scrutiny.
“I, myself, have been critical of my own party many times. It probably is equally as much, sometimes, as I have been of Democrats. And so I’m looking at this as a really good chance to take my critical eye and use it in a subcommittee and use it in hearings,” she explained.
Despite her controversial status, Greene draws support from various factions within the party, including conservatives, leadership, and more moderate members. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee with her, stated she’s “exactly the right person.”
“If you’re going to shake up Washington, Marjorie comes to mind,” Gonzales added.
Comer, who reiterated that he appointed Greene without any prior consultation with Johnson, described her as “very energetic and high profile,” suggesting that her new position will be a good fit.
“I think she wants to prove people wrong. She knows there’s people criticizing,” Comer noted.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
In a surprising development for some GOP lawmakers, the Georgia Republican is set to chair a new House Oversight subcommittee dedicated to DOGE, created by President-elect Donald Trump to aid in reducing government spending. Many have publicly supported Greene's appointment, highlighting her knack for challenging the status quo, her strong connections with Trump, and her substantial support from the party base as significant advantages for her new position.
On the other hand, there is apprehension among certain Republicans about Greene's tendency to be an incendiary figure and how that might detract from the DOGE agenda. One House Republican, who spoke anonymously, expressed concern that the role could be seen as “rewarding bad behavior.”
These worries stem from the belief that Greene's appointment is a way for party leadership to secure her support for Speaker Mike Johnson, who will need to gain approval from his conference in January to continue leading the House for another term. This week, Greene indicated her backing for Johnson’s speakership bid, despite having previously attempted to oust him in May.
“She came in to visit with me about the path forward and how she wanted to be part of the team, part of the solutions. And I welcome that,” Johnson stated in an interview, noting that House Oversight Chair James Comer of Kentucky selected her for the position without his prior knowledge. “There was no quid pro quo. We just decided that cooperation serves the country.”
This scenario reflects Johnson’s broader strategy within the House GOP. He is focused on keeping his critics aligned with him ahead of the upcoming speakership vote while managing the diverse ideological landscape of his conference that has an ambitious agenda on immigration, spending cuts, and taxes. Throughout this process, he aims to keep Trump and his allies, including Greene, content.
Some members of the party hope that this role will lead to Greene becoming more closely aligned with leadership, recalling her improved conduct when working alongside former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“If she is operating like she did with Speaker McCarthy, moving forward, she’s gonna be a pleasure to work with. If she goes back to how it was, then it’s probably gonna be a little bit more challenging. But I have faith … that she can go back and be a really productive member of the body,” Rep. Max Miller commented, a former Trump campaign aide and McCarthy ally, acknowledging that “the extra responsibility” might encourage her on a positive path.
However, Greene remains noncommittal about being a collaborative team member, expressing skepticism towards the notion.
“I’ve always faced criticism, but that’s also what makes me perfectly cut for this. And, you know, the team player approach — look, we’re in $36 trillion of debt because everybody played ball,” she remarked.
The Georgia Republican’s history is marked with controversies that have caused discomfort among her colleagues. She recently made headlines for suggesting, and later reaffirming, that Jews controlled the weather during Hurricane Helene’s impact on North Carolina and the southern states as elections approached, and she has faced allegations of racism following a confrontation with Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Greene has not yet revealed specific priorities for the new panel, stating she is still determining which committee witnesses to prioritize first. However, she mentioned that Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget “is a very worthy goal mark” she believes is “difficult” yet “attainable.”
She expressed an expectation for regular communication with Musk and Ramaswamy, having met with them during their visit to the Hill alongside Johnson.
Greene also highlighted several areas she is keen to investigate for waste, fraud, and abuse, including federal union contracts, the California rail project, Ukraine aid, questionable grants, NGOs assisting undocumented immigrants, and federal funding for gender-affirming surgery for minors. Additionally, she seeks to gather input from the American public regarding other possible areas of scrutiny.
“I, myself, have been critical of my own party many times. It probably is equally as much, sometimes, as I have been of Democrats. And so I’m looking at this as a really good chance to take my critical eye and use it in a subcommittee and use it in hearings,” she explained.
Despite her controversial status, Greene draws support from various factions within the party, including conservatives, leadership, and more moderate members. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee with her, stated she’s “exactly the right person.”
“If you’re going to shake up Washington, Marjorie comes to mind,” Gonzales added.
Comer, who reiterated that he appointed Greene without any prior consultation with Johnson, described her as “very energetic and high profile,” suggesting that her new position will be a good fit.
“I think she wants to prove people wrong. She knows there’s people criticizing,” Comer noted.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
