At a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) issued a stark warning to federal workers who might oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Speaking in her new role as chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee, Greene promised to hold federal employees accountable.
“I am glad this committee’s first hearing is dealing with the federal workforce,” Greene began. “Government accountability needs to start with federal employees.”
She elaborated on her priorities for the subcommittee, framing her role as a continuation of Trump’s “America First” policies. “During President Trump’s first term, federal employees tried to undermine the America First agenda at every turn,” Greene claimed. “The swamp was hard at work, not for the American people, but indeed to subvert their will.”
Warning of similar resistance in Trump’s upcoming term, Greene cited polling data to argue that federal employees are preparing to oppose Trump’s administration. “Polls indicated that nearly half of all federal employees plan to resist Trump,” Greene asserted. “This includes 73% of Democrat (sic) federal employees. Unelected bureaucrats do not have a mandate from the American voters.”
Greene vowed to address this perceived insubordination, emphasizing that federal workers must align with Trump’s agenda. “This means that the unelected bureaucrats that work for the federal government will come into place, and they will come to heel to the American people that have delivered the mandate,” she declared. “And it is certainly something my subcommittee will work with President Trump to crack down on.”
The Georgia Republican’s remarks reflect her combative stance against what she describes as a “deep state” entrenched in Washington. Critics have raised concerns that Greene’s rhetoric could create a hostile environment for federal workers tasked with implementing policies regardless of the administration in power.
Greene’s promises to “crackdown” on resistance within the federal workforce set the stage for potential clashes between her subcommittee and civil servants, highlighting the broader ideological divide over the role of career officials in executing political directives.