Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said it was an “absolute lie” that President Trump and Elon Musk were increasing government efficiency through a series of federal employee layoffs and cuts to federal agency budgets.
“Today they’re [Republicans] planning on voting for a budget resolution that is going to increase the debt by $2 trillion over the next decade. This is an absolute lie that Donald Trump is telling to the American people,” Smith said during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC.
“Call them out on that lie and begin to build support to push back.”
Late Tuesday, the House narrowly passed a budget resolution that will lay the foundation for enacting Trump’s legislative agenda, providing a framework for Republican priorities on tax, border, and energy in “one big, beautiful bill.”
The Washington state lawmaker said many of his colleagues have bent to the “cult of personality that is Donald Trump” and have suspended all efforts to hold the leader accountable.
Smith said he supported protests across the nation by constituents who aren’t in favor of the changes labeled as government reform.
“No one thing is enough, and I think that’s part of the problem. Look, there’s a certain sense of exhaustion. I mean, we’ve been fighting Trump for five years now, trying to stop this from happening. And people are trying to figure out what’s going to work,” Smith said.
“And I also think people are, like you said, it’s like, well, I’m going to protest. No one thing is going to turn this around. It has to be a series of collective actions and individual actions, and there has to be a fierce desire to get that out, but also not a feeling of, oh my gosh, if we haven’t solved the problem by tomorrow, what’s the point?”
The Office of Personnel Management said more cuts are on the horizon.
Fellow party member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) said the president is trying to “overwhelm” citizens with a wave of executive actions but also encouraged people not to be discouraged amid the flood of news.
