Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman tangled with a fiery town hall audience in her house state on Thursday night time as she went forwards and backwards with constituents over Elon Musk’s DOGE and cuts to federal spending.
At one level, Hageman sparred with a lady who mentioned she was a retired navy officer and Republican, who grilled the congresswoman over the proof of alleged fraud that Musk and Republicans contend they’ve uncovered.
“Simply to provide you a bit reference, I am a retired navy officer,” an unidentified lady mentioned at one level within the city corridor. “At 18, I rose my hand to defend the Structure towards all enemies, international and home. … “And my query, having checked out Musk’s DOGE, you’re a lawyer. The place is that this fraud? Who? What firm? What group? What personnel are we going after proper now?”
DOGE’s actions have come below hearth, not just for recommending 1000’s of federal staff be fired, together with many veterans however allegations, backed by President Donald Trump and the White Home pertaining to what they are saying is huge fraud in authorities spending. The claims of fraud, which Trump outlined in his current deal with to Congress, are not yet verifiable.
Hageman, fired again on the constituent, saying, “Oh my gosh, I will simply begin studying a few of it. I will simply begin studying it proper now, in the event you like me to. I will simply concentrate on USAID spending proper right here.”
“I did not say spending, I mentioned precise fraud,” the girl shouted again at Hageman.
“That is what it’s,” Hageman retorted. “That is the spending related to the fraud. That is the fraud. Spending is the fraud.”
“No, no, no,” the girl shouted again. “Go after particular corporations or particular personnel which might be committing fraud.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., holds a city corridor assembly on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Evanston, Wyo.
Spenser Heaps/AP, FILE
“That is fraud. That is fraudulent spending,” mentioned Hageman.
“No, it might be abusive spending, however it’s not fraud,” the girl replied.
“What I mentioned was waste, fraud and abuse. Waste, fraud and abuse,” Hageman mentioned again, earlier than attempting to provide figures on USAID spending.
The identical constituent then pressed Hageman over firings and whether or not or not they have been really making authorities extra environment friendly: “Simply since you’re firing someone doesn’t suggest that is environment friendly as a result of the job remains to be there. It nonetheless must be achieved,” she mentioned.
“We are going to get rid of a few of these jobs as properly,” Hageman mentioned. “These jobs will likely be being eradicated. They do not must be achieved.”
At one other level throughout the city corridor, one other lady pressed Hageman over what qualifies Musk to be making cuts to federal spending.
“You simply described the cuts to the federal government proper now as some sort of cautious audit, however the cuts that DOGE has been making have been willy-nilly by somebody who has by no means served within the authorities, has by no means run a nonprofit, who has 19-year-olds infiltrating computer systems and businesses and making selections. So who’s Musk accountable to? What qualifies him to be making these cuts? It is not an audit,” she requested.
DOGE claims to have saved $115 billion however that full amount is unverifiable as a result of there are solely receipts for a portion of the claimed financial savings.
“As I mentioned a second in the past, that is, it’s an audit. It’s the closest factor that we’re ever going to get to zero-based budgeting within the federal authorities,” Hageman mentioned.
“What I can not perceive, whether or not he’s a billionaire, a millionaire, or somebody who’s, simply as he says, tech assist, all he’s doing goes in and each single company and the way the cash is being spent. Do you assume that you’re entitled to know the way your cash is being spent?” she added.
