Newly elected Republican Congressman Derek Schmidt told Fox News Digital that DOGE's efforts will be crucial in the next Congress and explained why he is optimistic that Republicans will be on the same page in January moving forward. President-elect Trump Agenda.
““It's not business as usual anymore,” Schmidt, who was elected in November to represent Kansas' 2nd Congressional District, told Fox News about the impact of the newly formed Government Efficiency Administration led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as the two lobbied against the ongoing 1,500-page resolution that was being debated in the House and opposed by some conservatives for containing too much “pork.”
“Look, that was the main message from voters last November. They want us to make progress on some of these issues, and we're not going to make progress by continuing to do the same things and expecting different results. So, you know, things are going to be messy, and they're going to be Troubled, but that's what it will take to get this country back on track.”
Schmidt told Fox News Digital that the DOGE reforms are part of what Trump ran for.
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Former Kansas State Rep. Derek Schmidt will represent Kansas' 2nd District in Congress in January (Getty Images)
“This is what President Trump promised. This is what many of us ran for. And this is what I at least intend to be a part of achieving,” Schmidt said.
“So anything that helps put the genie back in the bottle, helps move us back toward this, you know, this system of federalism, this wonderful system of self-government that our founders gave us and that we've deviated from so far from, especially since the New Deal, I think that's something I want to be a part of trying to help fix it, I want to leave this country better for my children than I found it, and that won't be right if we don't start dealing with runaway federal spending and with that, the sprawling, hideous, unaccountable federal bureaucracy. In front of the voters.
Despite a net loss of two seats in the 435-member House of Representatives in November, Republicans will retain a fragile 220-215 majority when the new Congress convenes next month, giving them very little margin for error when trying to advance Trump's agenda.
Schmidt told Fox News Digital that he expects some “divisions” in the next Congress, which he described as “the nature of Democratic self-government,” but said he feels confident that Republicans will unite on big issues.
“I think we're going to adopt the president's agenda, and look, I think there are two things right. One, to the extent that I've met with my fellow freshman class members in the House and to the extent that I've met with my fellow incoming class members in the House of Representatives and to the extent that we're going to be the attorney general of Kansas for more than a decade,” said Schmidt, who served as Kansas attorney general for more than a decade. “I talked to current House members, and there seems to be a broad sense that everyone knows we have to get our way.”
“We have this trifecta, so-called, that the voters have given us. They have trusted us to do what we said we would do, and everyone, even though they may have differences in views, understands that we have to deliver results, and that means we have to find ways To work together.”
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Current Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt delivers his “Stump” speech during the gubernatorial debate at the Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, Kansas, September 8, 2018
“Number two,” Schmidt continued. “What's different now, you know, from the last few times when things were going well is that we have a strong Republican president. President Trump has not made any criticism. He was very clear during the campaign in the direction that he wants He takes over the country, the kinds of policies he wants to enact, and the voters agree to that, not just by winning the Electoral College, not just by winning the popular vote, but by winning the trifecta to help achieve that. We don't have to know what the agenda is, we have to We listen to what voters said when President Trump was elected, and what he expressed on behalf of voters, and we must come forward, come together and achieve results.
After winning both Electoral college And the popular vote, Schmidt told Fox News Digital that it is clear that Trump has a “mandate” from the American people and that House Republicans realize that gridlock in Congress will not be something that will satisfy voters.
“I think the voters knew what they were choosing, and they made that decision and I also think it's very important to, you know, maintain what I think is the core message, which is to do something, make progress on these issues,” Schmidt said.
“If the voters don't like us, if we don't like what you've done, we'll be judged two years, four years, six years down the road. But do something. This kind of inertia of getting too little done is an unacceptable way to lead the greatest nation “On the face of the Earth, so I think that this sentiment is widely accepted at least among most of us who hold public office, and we have the spirit of let's come together and work.”
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President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, December 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AFP/Evan Vucci)
Fox News Digital asked Schmidt what he is most looking forward to when serving in Congress, and he explained how excited he is to participate in what he called the “extraordinary experiment” in American governance.
“I don't mean to sound like Mr. Smith is going to Washington, but there is a certain element of truth in the idea that every one of us who is allowed to represent a group of Americans has an opportunity to be a part of that,” Schmidt said. “This extraordinary experiment in self-government that continues to It continues despite all its faults and shortcomings.”
“So many people before us have paid a heavy price at great personal expense to build this country into what it is today. We have an opportunity, those of us who serve, including me, to be a part of rewriting or writing the next chapter in the American story and I feel excited about So every morning, no matter how long I serve in public office, whether it's in two years or ten years or somewhere in the future, I want to be able to look back and say, I've had success. The difference is that I left America better than I found it. People have this Opportunity and the direct path will not I never lose sight of what I was assigned to do.”
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
