Speaker Johnson Outlines GOP Plan to Restructure Federal Government

House Speaker Mike Johnson has revealed ambitious Republican plans to overhaul the federal government if they secure congressional majorities and former President Donald Trump returns to the White House. In a recent interview with Just the News, Johnson discussed a blueprint to downsize Washington’s bureaucracy by moving federal agencies out of D.C., aiming to reduce government size, cost, and proximity to wealthy lobbyists.

Central to this plan is Johnson’s call to “deport” tens of thousands of federal bureaucrats from Washington and relocate them to other parts of the country. The move, he says, would shift federal offices, personnel, and assets closer to the American people, effectively uprooting what he calls “entrenched bureaucracies.” Johnson described the planned restructuring as aligning with Trump’s vision, which includes appointing billionaire Elon Musk to lead a government efficiency office dedicated to trimming bureaucracy.

“There’s a lot of talk about uprooting, you know, these entrenched bureaucracies and putting them out elsewhere around the country,” Johnson said. He added that transferring agencies to other states would not only save taxpayer dollars but would also reduce the influence of powerful special interests.

Johnson outlined the plan as a fundamental reorganization of the federal government, which currently employs more than two million workers. This vision is aligned with fiscal conservatives’ aim to reallocate federal spending to the states through block grants. According to Johnson, relocating agencies could naturally reduce government size, as many federal employees may choose not to relocate.

“You don’t have all these career civil service law-protected bureaucrats,” Johnson said. “Some of them have been camped out in these agencies for decades. They’re nameless, faceless. We don’t know who to hold accountable.” By moving agencies to locations such as “northern Kansas or southwest New Mexico,” he argued, many federal employees would not follow, preferring to stay in D.C., where they often become lobbyists or stay within the “swamp,” as he termed it.

This shift, Johnson suggested, would allow a “business reorganization” of the federal government, opening up positions for new hires with a limited-government mindset. “Almost all the agencies are bloated and inefficient,” he continued. “You can scale that down. And then in the cubicles that you do need to fill, we’ve had the America First Policy Institute and some of our other think tanks working to develop a notebook full of highly qualified, previously vetted, limited government conservatives who have expertise in these areas.”

The House Speaker’s remarks marked his most detailed public comments on the GOP’s strategy to cut government costs and reduce the regulatory state. He highlighted a recent Supreme Court decision, which overturned the “Chevron doctrine,” as a significant moment in restructuring federal power. Under the new ruling, Johnson explained, federal bureaucrats cannot interpret their own regulations; they must instead strictly follow what Congress authorizes.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really claw back Article 1 authority to the Legislative Branch under the Constitution,” Johnson said. With Trump in office, he believes, the GOP would have an administration ready to enact sweeping changes to the structure and scope of federal agencies. “I just think there’s almost unlimited potential in front of us, and we’ve got to seize that moment,” he continued.

Johnson also reiterated that a Republican-led Congress would work in full alignment with Trump’s proposed agenda. A top priority would be securing the U.S. southern border. Johnson emphasized that within hours of taking office, Trump would likely issue an executive order to begin securing the border. “We’ll come behind that with legislative action to secure it, seal it up,” Johnson said. Addressing the influx of individuals who have entered the U.S. under current immigration policies would follow shortly after, according to Johnson.

Besides immigration reform, Johnson underscored the GOP’s focus on economic issues, notably lowering inflation, extending Trump-era tax cuts, and reducing the cost of living. “The cost of living is unsustainable, unaffordable, and we know how to fix it,” Johnson argued, noting that with control of Congress, Republicans could prioritize economic relief measures immediately. Extending tax cuts set to expire in the coming year would be a top economic priority for the party.

Johnson’s statements mark a broad commitment by GOP leaders to reshape the federal government and scale back its reach. The emphasis on decentralizing federal agencies reflects an effort to reduce Washington’s influence while promoting local governance. This strategy, Johnson believes, would encourage government officials to be more accountable to everyday Americans, rather than operating within the insulated power structures of the capital.

The Speaker’s comments also highlight the GOP’s strategy to rein in what many Republicans view as bureaucratic overreach. By limiting the reach of federal agencies and redistributing their roles, Johnson argued, government efficiency would improve while taxpayer savings would increase.

As GOP leaders plan for a possible return to power, they see these structural changes as key to fulfilling promises of a leaner, more accountable government. With a presidential election around the corner, the proposed federal reorganization could become a defining issue, particularly for voters concerned about federal overreach and the concentration of government power in Washington. As Johnson envisions it, the path forward involves “taking a blowtorch” to bureaucratic excess, placing more power into the hands of the legislative branch and closer to the American people.

As Election Day nears, Republicans are shaping a platform focused on economic reform, border security, and reducing federal government presence in Washington. For Johnson and his colleagues, this approach marks an opportunity to fulfill long-standing conservative goals of decentralizing power and holding government accountable to its citizens.