Republicans press House leadership for help as they face pressure over DOGE cuts at home

Several House Republicans pleaded with leadership Tuesday for guidance on how to respond to the deluge of questions from their home districts on recent federal cuts, and called for more involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency’s process, multiple sources in the closed-door meeting told CNN.

Several House Republicans pleaded with leadership Tuesday for guidance on how to respond to the deluge of questions from their home districts on recent federal cuts, and called for more involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency’s process, multiple sources in the closed-door meeting told CNN. In an effort to remain publicly in lockstep with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government and its workforce, Republicans have taken to privately urging for humane treatment for federal workers in lieu of condemning elements of the administration’s approach. GOP Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia spoke out against Elon Musk’s X post earlier this month that included a reference to individuals who rely on federal programs as the “parasite class,” saying during the Tuesday meeting that he has family members that work for the federal government, one of the sources told CNN. Following his closed-door comments, Scott said in a statement that while he support’s efforts to improve efficiency, requests from Musk’s DOGE for federal employees “should have been coordinated with the agencies before they were issued” and that “referring to Americans who may need government assistance as ‘parasites’ is unacceptable in any circumstance.” When it comes to criticism of DOGE, calls for empathy are as far as most Republicans have been willing to publicly go since the effort began last month. Some Republicans have begun to side with some of Trump’s agency heads who have instructed their staff not to reply to Musk’s demand that all federal employees state their weekly accomplishments or risk termination. And while the quiet lobbying to humanize the federal workforce builds on the GOP’s careful pushback and acknowledgement that certain agencies play vital roles, it’s far from a direct criticism and even those who got an earful back in their districts told CNN they still support DOGE.