Her post was followed by another in which she claimed that Republicans must make the deep $2 trillion in spending cuts demanded by Musk, cuts that he has admitted would likely impose “hardship” on Americans. She also released a statement about “helping President Trump, his appointees and DOGE fulfill their promises through reconciliation.”

One wonders how Spartz’s decision might affect Republicans’ already slim majority in the House of Representatives in the coming term and whether their refusal to cooperate could create additional headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson. (Politico reported, citing two anonymous sources “with direct knowledge of the matter,” that Spartz’s decision may have been due to her failure to secure the committee position she sought.)

Definitely this one does appear to be primarily a boon for the appearance of legitimacy for Musk and Ramaswamy’s group. There is also no reason to believe that the Department of Government Efficiency will be any less circus-like than the Republican-led Congress. Even if the Republican caucus Is A circus, that is the circus into which Spartz’s voters elected her.

But their decision is consistent with my theory that Trump and his allies in Washington are finding ways to minimize Congress’ authority and damage its reputation so that Trump-appointed executives can make all the important decisions.

Signs of this include Musk and Ramaswamy’s insistence that Trump can use the sequestration to withhold spending approved by Congress. And conservatives are pushing for Trump to use recess appointments to avoid the Senate’s duty to confirm his Cabinet picks. I think Spartz’s announcement is another way MAGA allies are working to shift power from Congress to Trump and his inner circle in the executive branch.