DOGE BECOMES COGE: New GOP Governor Announces Government Efficiency Commission In First Executive Order

New Hampshire’s new governor, Kelly Ayotte, created a government efficiency commission in her first Executive Order.

“Governor Kelly Ayotte signed her first Executive Order creating the Commission on Government Efficiency (‘COGE’) and named former Governor Craig Benson and Bedford businessman Andy Crews as Co-Chairs,” a press release from the Republican governor’s office read.

“I am proud to launch the Commission on Government Efficiency today and appoint two of the smartest business guys I know, Governor Craig Benson and Andy Crews, to lead it. COGE will put proposals on my desk to streamline government, cut spending, and ensure we’re doing everything we can to create value for taxpayers,” Ayotte said.

“Most importantly, COGE will help us do all of this while honoring our unbreakable commitment to provide for our most vulnerable citizens who depend on the services our state government provides. Together, we will ensure our government runs as efficiently and effectively as possible for all of New Hampshire,” she added.

COGE will help ensure our government is streamlined, efficient, and focused on saving taxpayer dollars while protecting our most vulnerable citizens.

Read my first Executive Order below.

— Governor Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) January 9, 2025

“COGE will consist of 15 members, including one State Senator appointed by the Senate President and one State Representative appointed by the Speaker of the House,” the press release added.

Ayotte announced the creation of “COGE” in her inaugural address.

The NH Gov. just issued her first executive order to create a Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) — like @DOGE.

Former Gov. Craig Benson — who famously invited the FSP to NH — will lead COGE.

What would you like to see cut from the NH budget?https://t.co/7Ha9ZUuPl4

— The Free State (@FreeStateNH) January 10, 2025

Per NBC Boston:

The Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE, appears to be New Hampshire’s version of President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is aimed at cutting the federal government’s spending, regulations and workforce size.

Ayotte announced COGE as a way for outside interests to help New Hampshire’s commissioners “roll up their sleeves and find ways to rethink their approach, and where appropriate, do more with less.”

Ayotte had spoken of the state needing “to make reductions and recalibrate from the higher spending over the last several years,” though she didn’t specify where those cuts would come from. She was tapping former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews, one of the co-chairs of her transition team, to lead COGE.

She cited “Massachusetts’ illegal immigrant crisis right down the road,” for the need to ban any local sanctuary city policies, which keep local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officers’ detention requests.

Her commitment to veto any legislation that would further restrict abortion access in New Hampshire was the last policy she outlined in the speech, which she closed by reiterating her thanks “for the privilege of a lifetime” in being governor and her call for unity, saying “protecting what makes us unique is so much more important than one person or one party.”

Ayotte, a former U.S. senator and New Hampshire attorney general, was elected governor on Nov. 5, defeating Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig to keep the officer under GOP control after Gov. Chris Sununu opted not to seek election to a fifth two-year term.

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