Op-Ed: Rep. Mark Harris: Trump's new battle plan is boldly reshaping Washington
While his tactics and style may seem unconventional to some, Donald Trump is the first modern president to successfully take on Washington — just as he promised.
For decades, the Left has been operating from a radical progressive playbook that seeks to undermine our traditional American values. The Left launched guerrilla warfare attacks to open our borders, undermine parents, weaponize the government against constitutional rights and conservative institutions, and destroy the pillars of our economy. Meanwhile, old school Republicans have too often fumbled in response by using conventional battle plans.
I am a traditional guy who likes to play by the rules, but playing nice with Democrats has only left our government in disarray and our culture in shambles. We have long needed a new leader who is willing to take risks and disrupt the status quo.
From the moment he was sworn into office, President Trump launched a sweeping assault on government waste, fraud, and abuse. For the past 100 days, he has made it clear: doing government differently is the only way to tame the Beltway beast.
For decades, swamp-infested bureaucrats in the federal government mismanaged Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars and dodged agency audits. Voters demanded accountability by electing President Trump and a Republican Congress — and the Trump administration is delivering.
To fulfill his promise of shrinking government and draining the swamp, President Trump — alongside Elon Musk — launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While many Republicans have campaigned on limited government, few have taken the bull by the horns like President Trump. Immediately, DOGE uncovered a stunning list of career bureaucrats’ backward spending priorities.
One of the worst offenders was the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a branch of the State Department responsible for foreign grants. USAID squandered taxpayer dollars on bizarre pet projects, including millions for an Iraqi version of Sesame Street, a transgender opera in Colombia, and even the distribution of contraceptives and condoms to the Taliban.
Beyond these egregious examples, the Department of Education stands out as a monument to government overreach and failure. In its 45 years of existence, it has presided over plummeting national test scores, declining literacy rates, and a collapse in civics knowledge. Instead of helping American children, it has failed them — and taxpayers are footing the bill. It’s time for education to return to local control, led by parents and teachers, not unelected Washington bureaucrats.
Thankfully, President Trump agrees. His administration has directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to lay out a process to permanently shut down the Department of Education, standing up for taxpayers and fighting for the future of our children.
The Department of Education and USAID are just two examples. In February, DOGE uncovered that FEMA sent $59 million to house illegal aliens in luxury hotels in New York City — while homeless victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina were kicked out of temporary housing.
President Trump does not tolerate such blatant misuse of taxpayer funds. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem swiftly fired the bureaucrats responsible. President Trump also prioritized the victims of Hurricane Helene during his very first week in office, personally visiting Western North Carolina to show his genuine care for the forgotten men and women of America.
Yet the reality remains: Washington’s entrenched power brokers will do anything to stop the Trump America First agenda.
Americans are no longer shocked by the daily revelations of government corruption. Politicians have long campaigned on limited government, but until now, it often felt like nothing more than hot air. President Trump has slashed more red tape and rooted out more corruption in just a few days than most presidents have in decades.
Now, Congress must match President Trump's boldness. To secure these victories for the long term, House and Senate Republicans must act. We have a historic opportunity to pass the America First agenda into law, making it far harder for future Democratic administrations to undo President Trump’s achievements with a few strokes of a pen.
Rep. Mark Harris represents North Carolina’s 8th District in Congress.