The White House is actively defending its recent legislative package, often referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” amid public and political scrutiny regarding its fiscal implications and legislative scope. A prominent figure within the administration, Deputy Chief of Staff Steve Miller, has publicly challenged criticisms alleging the bill falls short on specific cost-cutting measures and could negatively impact the national deficit. Concurrently, a separate legal battle is unfolding concerning the transparency and operational nature of a key government initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Understanding the Bill’s Spending Reductions
Steve Miller took to social media to counter what he termed “false” claims about the bill’s inability to enact significant “DOGE” cuts, emphasizing that such assertions stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of reconciliation bills. He clarified that these budget bills, passed with a simple 50-vote majority in the Senate, are inherently limited by Senate rules to addressing only mandatory spending, such as programs like Medicaid and Food Stamps. Discretionary spending, which encompasses the vast majority of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) budget, cannot be targeted through this legislative vehicle.
Despite this, Miller underscored that the bill includes what he describes as the most substantial welfare reform in history and aims to achieve more than $1.6 trillion in mandatory spending reductions. He argued that these figures are more than sufficient to qualify the legislation as a landmark achievement in fiscal responsibility.
Debunking Deficit Increase Claims
Miller extended his defense to address accusations that the bill would lead to an increase in the national deficit. He labeled these claims a “lie,” attributing them to flawed calculations from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). His technical explanation highlighted that income tax rates from the 2017 tax cuts were always intended to be permanent, and therefore, maintaining these rates cannot, by definition, add to the deficit. Miller asserted that the bill actually reduces the deficit when evaluated against the appropriate “current law baseline,” which he considers the only correct benchmark.
Furthermore, Miller dismissed allegations that the bill secretly introduces trillions in new government spending. He reminded the public that the legislation is not a comprehensive ten-year budget plan and does not fund most government operations, which are handled through annual budget bills. He illustrated this point by suggesting critics would falsely inflate spending figures by counting unrelated future costs that fall outside the bill’s direct scope. According to Miller, the only new funding in the bill is specifically for border security and national defense initiatives requested by President Trump, with the remainder focused on substantial tax and spending cuts.
The Legal Battle Over DOGE Transparency
In a parallel development, the Supreme Court has temporarily intervened in a dispute regarding the transparency of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary administrative stay, effectively blocking a lower court’s order that had compelled DOGE to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. This legal challenge was initiated by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which filed a lawsuit after its January requests for DOGE documents went unfulfilled following President Trump’s return to office.
The central question in this dispute is whether DOGE constitutes a government agency, making it subject to FOIA laws, or an advisory body to the President, as the administration contends. DOGE has been instrumental in the administration’s efforts to streamline government and reduce federal staffing and grants. Complicating matters, DOGE succeeded the U.S. Digital Service, a prior agency, and has been rebranded as the “U.S. DOGE Service (USDS)” by the White House. Despite this rebranding, Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington ruled in March that DOGE is “likely” a federal agency, concluding that delaying public access to records would cause irreparable harm. He ordered DOGE to begin handing over documents promptly and to preserve all relevant records. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has indicated it holds over 100,000 pages related to the case, with DOGE itself possessing an additional 58,000 documents.
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