New GOP organization pushes for federal spending reductions

NASHVILLE — A newly-created Republican organization in Tennessee is pushing for further reductions to federal spending. Last week, the Tennessee GOP Chair Coalition sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-TN, urging him to use his authority as Chairman of the Congressional Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee to cut federal spending not strictly enumerated by the Constitution. "Your long-standing advocacy for fiscal restraint, transparency, and constitutional government places you in a unique position to address one of the most serious threats to the republic: the routine use of federal tax dollars for purposes never enumerated or delegated to the federal government," states the letter. The Tennessee GOP Chair Coalition is made up of county Republican Party chairs across the state. The organization was created last November with the goal of ensuring GOP adherence to conservative principles such as limited government, free markets and adherence to the Constitution. Its membership includes Danielle Goodrich, Washington County GOP chair. The letter claims that over 70% of federal spending is done through programs not enumerated in the Constitution — such as Social Security, Medicaid, education, housing and welfare programs. The coalition called on Burchett to conduct an audit of all federal expenditures, categorizing every federal appropriation by its Constitutional basis. Further, the coalition urged Burchett to focus his efforts on weeding out fraud and improper payments distributed through Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. It also requested legislation giving states more freedom to opt out of "non-enumerated" federal spending programs. "The federal government's spending crisis is not caused by insufficient revenue—it is caused by unconstitutional scope, lack of accountability, and systemic fraud enabled by distance from the taxpayer," concludes the letter.