Cole: DOGE’s work has a July 2026 end-date

The Department of Government Efficiency has a sunset date, which is why its activities have been so intense, said U.S. Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole.

Cole, R-Oklahoma, told The Lawton Constitution’s editorial board last week that DOGE is working on a July 2026 timeline, meaning its activities will end then because the law that created the federal agency also said that’s when its mission will expire. So, that’s also why the department has been intense in its goal to cut government fat, said Cole, adding the department’s life ends “at a date certain, unless it’s extended by Congress.”

Congress already is dealing with some of the fall out from suggested cuts made by the agency. Cole is among that number, and he’s calm about explaining the proposals that impacted Lawton and Oklahoma — reversed after Cole’s input — were simply a matter of explaining to those in Washington why the agencies were important.

That includes Lawton’s Social Security Office, which had originally been one of 40 to 50 offices slated for closure. Cole said he simply explained Lawton-Fort Sill and its 100,000-population area is a “huge catchment area,” with people who live in that area not having any other options within 100 miles.

The argument also was simple for the National Weather Service building in Norman that also was slated for closure. Cole said it was a matter of explaining what the complex actually did, which is function as an eco-system for a variety of entities ranging from the National Weather Center and weather-related classes from the University of Oklahoma, to an entity that monitors waterways and weather for shipping data.

Reversing the closure of the Indian Health Care Center in Oklahoma City was easy as well: Oklahoma, home to 39 tribal governments, has a high percentage of residents who are Native American, Cole said, explaining that at 13 percent of the total state population, only Alaska has a higher percentage (but fewer actual people because it has a much lower total population) of residents claiming Native American ancestry.

“The point is: We’re able to do it (make an impact on DOGE recommendations),” Cole said, adding that in the end, it is President Trump — not DOGE or Elon Musk – who makes those decisions. “Any member (of Congress) can make the case.”

In Cole’s case, he said the Lawton Social Security Office was easy because “it simply did not make sense.” That office impacts not only Lawton, but surrounding towns, too.

Cole said that doesn’t mean every cut proposed by DOGE is worth arguing. Some proposals are credible, he said, adding it’s also not the first time the federal government has proposed cuts to save money. He remembers when one of the AWAC missions was proposed for elimination from Tinker Air Force Base, a move he strongly opposed and an argument he won. By contrast, he agreed with the decision that closed Treasure Lake Job Corps, noting keeping that venture wasn’t the right thing to do.

“I’ve been careful about what I support,” he said, adding he weighs issues such as financial impact and the overall impact of the entity.

Not everything recommended will be done, nor can Cole or anyone else put a timeline on when it will be accomplished. Cole said legal challenges “will be substantial.” But, the plus side is savings, money that can be better spent elsewhere.

But, Cole also concedes that 70 percent of discretionary funding goes to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, areas where he has been arguing for reform — similar to actions taken 50 ago by then-President Ronald Reagan and then-House Speaker Tip O’Neill — for at least six congressional years.

But, to save money, real reforms must happen first, and that’s why the urgency, Cole said, about DOGE’s sunset date.