Congressional delegation should stand behind Trump agenda

Dear editor:

In contrast to recent criticisms of President Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, we encourage Senators Barrasso and Lummis and Representative Hageman to do everything in their power to support and codify the common sense agenda of President Trump. We remind readers that President Trump was elected by 77,304,184 voters in America, representing both a corresponding Electoral College win and support by the majority of voters. In Wyoming, the percentage was significantly larger.

We enthusiastically support President Trump’s commitment to Making America Great Again by reducing the size of government, increasing accountability and transparency, and reigning in unaccountable bureaucrats who have run amok for decades. A commonly heard criticism of DOGE and Elon Musk is that they are unelected and unvetted. This is clearly fearmongering and patently false. Of the 2.3 million federal employees in the executive branch, only two are elected (the President and Vice President). There are high level appointees that must be confirmed by the Senate, but even these are a very small percentage of the workforce. All employees, including Musk and his workers, have been given appropriate security clearances. Furthermore, President Trump has made it clear that Musk himself has no direct authority to fire employees; only to make recommendations. 

It is understandable to be shocked at the speed of changes that are going on. There will be growing (or better said, shrinking) pains. These changes will not come easily. Nonetheless, we are encouraged by the dedication of the administration to fulfilling the promises that were made to us.

Our county Republican leadership has recently returned from a statewide meeting of Republican delegates from each county where Trump and his quick work at keeping his promises was applauded almost unanimously. Additionally, House Speaker Johnson, on NTD Good Morning on Feb. 28, 2025, was televised say, “The American people are behind what’s happening. The DOGE effort is polling over 80% right now. They want us to find inefficiencies in the federal government. They want the government to be smaller and leaner and more accountable to the taxpayers and that’s what these efforts are all about.”

Poll after poll show that the American people support the changes President Trump is making. We do realize these changes affect real people, some of whom have opted to leave their jobs or will lose their jobs. While thousands of jobs lost do not feel trivial when it affects your family members directly, it is a very small percentage of the overall government workforce. These changes are desperately needed to give hope to millions of young people and future generations who will live under the burden of our immense national debt for the rest of their lives.

Again, our message to our national delegation is, please do all you can to support President Trump in his mission to reduce the size of the federal government, reduce government inefficiencies, encourage renewed manufacturing in the United States, seal our borders, drill, baby, drill, and return the federal government to the service of its people.

Sincerely,

Sharon Hall, on behalf of Big Horn County Republican Party Central Committee