Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds appeared on Fox Business Tuesday and called for continued reductions in government spending.
The House of Representatives approved a stopgap funding bill by a vote of 217 to 213, with House Democrats opposing the six-month government funding extension, known as a continuing resolution, despite their prior warnings against the risks of government shutdowns. During an appearance on “The Evening Edit,” host Elizabeth Macdonald asked Donalds if the Senate is likely to pass the continuing resolution and if they will include the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) proposed budget cuts through rescission. Donalds said he supports the idea.
“I think that’s what the Senate should be doing. We are at a point where we have to cut back, we have to tighten our belts. You have the left that now wants to talk about the stock market all the time, and, listen, as a former financial advisor, I want a high stock market as well, but our economy has to be based on sound economic principles,” Donalds said.
With the Senate poised to decide on a continuing resolution that includes the proposed cuts, Donalds said that only a simple majority is needed to make significant strides toward fiscal responsibility.
“It can’t be based on massive government overspending and government stimulus, that is simply not sustainable, and so we need to tighten our belts here in Washington. The Senate needs to follow suit and allow for the DOGE cuts to continue so we can get on a sound financial footing going forward,” Donalds said.
Trump and House Republicans plan to include DOGE cuts in the fiscal year 2026 budget process. On Truth Social, Trump hinted at supporting a primary challenger to Massie after the Kentucky representative opposed the GOP’s stopgap funding bill.
Donalds said he supported the continued reductions in government spending, particularly targeting the Department of Education’s budget. This stance comes in the wake of the U.S. Education Department cutting its workforce of 4,133 employees. Exactly 1,315 employees were fired.
“What I say is, look at the test scores of kids in our country since the creation of the Department of Education. Our kids have fallen behind,” Donalds said. “So if your kids are falling behind but we’re funding billions of dollars towards this effort, shouldn’t we examine everybody that’s there? Do we even need the amount of administrators in that outfit when it is clear that those resources will be better spent actually getting into the hands of parents so that their children can be better educated?”
Donalds said that the current level of administrative overhead at the Education Department is unnecessary and that reallocating these resources directly to parents via 529 accounts could enhance educational outcomes.
“This is one of the reasons why I support the ECCA [Educational Choice for Children Act] going into budget reconciliation, and I also think these dollars at the Department of Education, they need to go into 529 accounts so parents can have direct access to those dollars and utilize them for the best interests of their children,” Donalds said.
The Trump administration implemented the layoffs to reduce government waste and enhance the nation’s education system. An official told DCNF that the cuts would not disrupt the department’s operations but would shift more oversight to the state level.
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America
