December 6, 2024

Meetings with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy of the Department of Government Efficiency

Congressman Sessions and Elon Musk	House DOGE Caucus Co-Chairs Congressmen Sessions, Bean, and Moore.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending two meetings with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. As a Member of Congress, I have long been a supporter of cutting spending, believing that we should give the government every dollar it needs, but not a penny more. I also have long worked to counter waste, fraud, and abuse at the federal level as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce. These experiences have well prepared me to serve as Co-Chair of the House DOGE Caucus, along with Florida’s Congressman Aaron Bean and Utah’s Congressman Blake Moore. In a smaller meeting with GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and the heads of DOGE, I got to know Elon and Vivek, and their passion for making the government work for the American taxpayer. Following this meeting, we held a larger, all-GOP gathering to begin sharing ideas between lawmakers and the Department of Government Efficiency. We are working together to ensure that the DOGE effort is effective, making sure to aim before we fire. I am looking forward to continuing these conversations and helping President Trump fulfill the mandated will of the American people.

ABLE Act 10th Anniversary

Start of the Christmas Season

US-Mexico Bilateral Issues Conference

Congressman Sessions and members of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

On Thursday morning, I was invited to address the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Issues Conference of 2024 with the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Mexico is the state of Texas’s largest trading partner and maintaining this partnership is essential for Texas business. I am supportive of American efforts to engage in business with Mexico. With USMCA review coming up in 2026, I spoke about the context of the United States decision-making process in the $1.6 trillion dollars a year trade relationship between the US, Canada and Mexico. Government spending is out of control in the U.S. and an emphasis on efficiency will be driving many of the United States's decisions. 

House Committee on Financial Services Hearing

Congressman Sessions speaks at Tuesday's House Financial Services Committee hearing

On Tuesday was the last House Financial Services Committee of the 118th Congress. This also marked the end of Chairman Patrick McHenry’s tenure. This hearing was future-focused, bringing in technology and financial leaders to discuss how fintech is transforming financial services. Many of these transformations are beneficial for Americans, including enhancing access, lowering costs, and innovating with transparency. However, as we embrace this progress, we must prioritize strong protections and account security to safeguard users from bad actors and thieves. You can watch my remarks here.

News Nation→ CUOMO
Last night I spoke with Chris Cuomo about the introductory meetings between Capitol Hill and the leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency
 
C-SPAN→ Washington Journal
This morning I was on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to answer viewer questions about how we will improve government efficiency for the American people.
 
Washington Watch→ Rep. Pete Sessions Unveils Key Takeaways from Capitol Hill Meeting
Immediately following my meetings with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, I told Tony Perkins on Washington Watch about this bipartisan effort in the DOGE Caucus to make the government work for the people. 

A Starting Point→ Understanding D.O.G.E.
At the beginning of the week, I clipped a video with A Starting Point to shed light on what the DOGE Caucus is trying to do. We are not going to go into creating cuts without first getting together, sharing ideas, and making a plan. 

Fox News→ 'We're going to gut the fish': Republicans give details from closed-door meetings with DOGE's Musk, Ramaswamy
After the meetings with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, I shared with 

The Hill→ GOP greets DOGE with excitement but expects ‘friction’
Before Thursday's meetings, I shared with The Hill my predictions about the introductions with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. At this point in the process, we are speaking about our different ideas to find how to move forward.

Government Executive→ Musk, Ramaswamy focus on slashing telework and federal employee attrition in initial meetings with Republicans
Following meetings with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday, I assured the press that we are looking to find a path and not immediately slash government workers.