Today’s notice: Democrats try some old-school “resistance.” Federal workers are just trying to figure out what’s going on. And the Trump administration might have missed the eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse” memo.
Democrats Brace for a DOGE ‘Shit Show’ on Oversight
As Donald Trump and Elon Musk take a sledgehammer to the federal bureaucracy, Democrats are wrestling with how to mount their opposition. But on Capitol Hill, there’s at least one place where Democrats are ready for fisticuffs: the newly minted DOGE Subcommittee.
“We’re gonna view this as a bar fight,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia told NOTUS.
“There’s a lot of decorum in Congress, and that’s fine, but these people have no interest in decorum, and they have no interest in truth, and they have no interest in following the rules,” he said. “And so in that situation, you also have to match that energy.”
The Oversight subcommittee is studded with stars on both sides. Republicans are helmed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who, just four years ago was stripped of any committee assignment for supporting violent rhetoric against Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is leading the Democratic squad of high-profile lawmakers including Reps. Jasmine Crockett, Greg Casar and Garcia.
They’ll square off for the first time during a public hearing Wednesday. Though Democrats are still reckoning with how to effectively oppose Trump 2.0 — Oversight Chair Gerry Connolly cautioned his party not to “take the bait” — the DOGE panel is ready to make a public show of their resistance.
Stansbury told NOTUS, “We’re the resistance. Period.”
It remains to be seen if we’ll see a repeat of “bleach-blonde bad-built butch body.” But, according to Crockett, “It’s gonna be a shit show.”
Manifesting the Reality of the Clueless Government Worker
“These people have no idea what they’re doing” is a long-standing cliché lobbed at government employees. But now, thanks to DOGE, it’s literally true.
“We really are just quite in the dark about everything, about how to even move forward with our own regular work,” an OPM staffer told NOTUS’ Katherine Swartz.
Even the federal employees the Trump administration has said it wants to feel supported, like air traffic controllers, are actually off-kilter at work. Chaos surrounding buyouts and firings and pauses and public statements from Musk about more to come are “a distraction” at the Federal Aviation Administration, an employee there told NOTUS.
Front Page
- Small Businesses Are Already Hurting From Trump’s Freeze on EV Charger Funds: Meanwhile, companies like Elon Musk’s Tesla are unlikely to be seriously affected.
- Why the Freedom Caucus Wants the Debt Limit in Reconciliation — And Why It May Tank the Bill: “Why would we deal with the Democrats on the debt ceiling?”
- One Top State Department Official’s Answer to U.S. Crime: Be More Oppressive Like the Chinese Government: Darren Beattie regularly posted about violence in America.
The Third-Term Dreamers
On Capitol Hill, Trump 3.0 is becoming less and less of a joke.
“President Trump is off to a great start,” Rep. Robert Aderholt told Torrence Banks. “I certainly think it’s something we need to look at. My constituency is very happy with what he’s doing right now. I think they would be very much in favor of him serving another term.”
Rep. Andy Ogles, who introduced legislation — sans co-sponsors — that would get the ball rolling on the constitutionality of a third term, told NOTUS he’s quietly garnering backers.
“There’s a bunch of support,” Ogles said.
Whoops?
As Trump cracks down on “waste, fraud and abuse,” his administration has already coughed up tens of millions to a company under Department of Justice investigation, NOTUS’ Mark Alfred reports.
Here’s the kicker: They’re under investigation for potentially ripping off several government bureaus.
Week Ahead
- The Senate is expected to vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard confirmations.
- Trump has floated a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- JD Vance will attend the annual Munich Security Conference.
- Valentine’s Day <3 and on a FRIDAY!
Not Us
We know NOTUS reporters can’t cover it all. Here’s some other great hits by… not us.
- 1 in 5 child care workers is an immigrant. Trump’s deportations and raids have many terrified by Jackie Mader for The Hechinger Report
- Will Congress Ever “Liberate” Methadone? By Aviva Stahl for Mother Jones
- Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired by Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets by Jason Leopold, Margi Murphy, Sophie Alexander, Jake Bleiberg and Anthony Cormier for Bloomberg
Be Social
You think they took D, E and I down first?
📸 What’s left of the of the signage outside the USAID building: pic.twitter.com/fRnUL9HVwP
— Mark Alfred (@byMarkAlfred) February 7, 2025
Tell Us Your Thoughts
What will be the most important congressional committee in 2025?
Send your thoughts to newsletters@notus.org.
Thank you for reading! If you like this edition of the NOTUS newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please subscribe (it’s free!).