PASCO COUNTY, Fla — A Pasco County library transformed into the U.S. Capitol building during a Wednesday night workshop, and dozens of ordinary people from across the county became members of Congress.
In actuality, the library became the site of an exercise in civics.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) asked his constituents to divide into small groups and decide what they would fund, expand, or trim in the federal budget over the next decade.
The Concord Coalition, a non-partisan organization that advocates putting the national debt on a sustainable course, helped him host the event.
“We have people that watch MSNBC. You have people who watch FOX — CNN — what have you,” Rep. Bilirakis said of the crowded room.
And he said he wants feedback from all of them.
Bilirakis is a member of the Department of Government Efficiency Caucus and a vocal supporter of the Trump Administration’s current effort to rein in federal spending.
DOGE, created by President Trump, is already making cuts and causing controversy. That includes the role of the world's richest person, Elon Musk, who is targeting what he sees as waste and fraud in the federal government.
Critics say DOGE is overreaching when it comes to accessing personal information and operating without oversight. Supporters say the scrutiny Musk is providing is long overdue.
Bilirakis said he commends the work Musk and DOGE are doing, however, he said it is still Congress’ job to approve or deny the cuts.
“You know, I want to make sure that we review these programs thoroughly and make the right decisions, okay? Because there are a lot of good programs out there, alright? But there are a lot of redundant programs as well,” he said.
“It’s absolutely necessary that we make the cuts, but I want to make sure they are educated decisions,” he continued.
He said it’s why he wanted to hear from the dozens of people seated inside the library Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center on Wednesday evening.
Two more of the exercises will be held Thursday, Feb. 20, in Citrus and Hernando Counties:
- George Washington Carver Community Center, Crystal River, 1p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Schafer Memorial All-American VFW Post 10209 in Spring Hill, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
At the exercise in Pasco County, there was plenty of passionate yet civil disagreement from the participants, which included Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. There were also surprising examples of agreement and compromise.
“I think that we’re finding out that we all believe in the same things. We just have different ways of getting there,” said one participant, Cindy Ballard, from New Port Richey.
Though the faux Congress members didn’t actually pass a federal budget inside the county library, they did give Bilirakis some valuable input.
By and large, most groups who shared their findings suggested cutting trillions from the federal budget. Some recommended slashing healthcare programs. Others targeted defense spending. A number of participants ceded the cuts might not be politically favorable, if made.
Bilirakis will take the input back to Washington.
While he said there will be no cuts to Medicare or Social Security, he believes there are areas of the federal budget that can be cut.
A scammer tricked an 89-year-old, telling her that her grandson was hurt and that she needed to withdraw nearly $10,000 immediately. Luckily, Jennifer Sgro, a teller at Achieva Credit Union in Clearwater, stepped in when she recognized something was wrong.
