Comer: DOGE Subcommittee is Exposing Government Waste, Identifying Solutions

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered an opening statement at the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) first hearing titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud.” In his remarks, Chairman Comer commended President Trump’s swift efforts to equip Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency with the tools needed to conduct a government-wide audit. Chairman Comer noted that today’s hearing on improper payments is a first step in support of the administration’s efforts and explained that the hearing will help identify solutions to this costly problem. He concluded his remarks by thanking DOGE Subcommittee Chairwoman Greene for leading this important first hearing on a topic of high importance to the Oversight Committee, the Trump Administration, and all American taxpayers.

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Grothman’s remarks as prepared for delivery.

Thank you, Chairwoman Greene, for holding today’s hearing to launch the war on waste.

President Trump won an electoral landslide with a clear mandate from the American people to eliminate Washington waste and stop the theft of taxpayer dollars.

And he is delivering on his promise.

President Trump has empowered Elon Musk and DOGE to conduct a government-wide audit to identify solutions to curb waste and protect taxpayer dollars.

With a staggering $37 trillion national debt, we have no time to lose.

A key place to start is improper payments. Since 2003, the government has lost $2.7 trillion because of improper payments.

Fraudsters, organized criminals, hostile foreign actors, and even government employees have siphoned money away from those who truly qualify for assistance.

For years, Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have condemned this waste.

But now that DOGE is taking real action, Democrats are choosing to defend the bureaucracy and status quo instead of standing up for the American people.

I thank Chairwoman Greene for holding this important hearing—not only to expose the problem, but to find solutions.

We stand with President Trump and DOGE in the fight to end waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington.

With that, I yield back to Subcommittee Chairwoman Greene, and congratulations on holding this first hearing of the DOGE Subcommittee.

###