1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

Oppose Governor-elect Blackburn's proposed "Tennessee-style DOGE" review of state spending, programs, contracts, and unfilled positions before it takes root in our state government. This kind of sweeping, efficiency-branded review has a track record of gutting services that working Tennesseans depend on, from workforce development to child care to public health. Blackburn announced this agenda at her transition press conference, framing it as a priority alongside her legislative agenda. That means the pressure to act starts now, before she is even sworn in this January. Tennessee government works because agencies are staffed, funded, and functional. A politically driven audit of "unfilled positions" and contracts is a backdoor way to hollow out state capacity without a single vote from the General Assembly. I expect my elected officials to push back hard on any executive action that bypasses legislative oversight and strips services from the people of this state.