John Rutherford wants more ‘detail’ on DOGE cuts amid constituent concern

A Jacksonville Republican member of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus says he and his constituents want to know more about what’s being cut amid the Elon Musk group’s breakneck pace.

“I have constituents sort of concerned about the cuts as well. But I think part of what’s going on is DOGE is moving so fast that it’s got people’s heads spinning,” said Rep. John Rutherford. “In fact, I want more information about what’s going to happen before it happens. They’re moving so fast.

Rutherford is among the Congressional Republicans who have resisted calls to hold town halls, saying they present “an opportunity for a mob to act out in front of media.” So his constituent concerns are coming from smaller group settings.

Yet it’s notable that his comments, made Friday on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” stop short of previous full-throated endorsements of the DOGE mission.

“Musk is not acting on his own, nor does he have complete authority over anything, including the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk is carrying out the orders given to him from President Donald Trump to clean up the waste, fraud, and abuse that have plagued the federal government for far too long,” Rutherford said last month.

During the same C-SPAN hit Friday, Rutherford acknowledged that Trump has the ultimate authority to cut executive branch functions, and defended those moves to reduce “bloat” in the government, particularly given that previous President Joe Biden hired people in what the Congressman called a “willy-nilly” way.

“He has the duty and the power … and the responsibility,” he argued.

As First Coast News reports, DOGE cuts look likely to impact Rutherford’s district with some notable cuts.

The Charles E. Bennett Federal Building, which is considered an “anchor institution” by Downtown Vision, was listed among 440 structures that could be sold. Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Housing and Urban Development functions are among those that could be removed from the city as a result.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is also vacating its offices on the Southbank.

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