Republicans across the country have launched initiatives mirroring the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency to root out so-called "waste" and "fraud" within state budgets. Why it matters: While they cheer Elon Musk's chainsaw,

GOP senators told Musk about an obscure legislative tool that could bring legal heft to his effort and enshrine the cuts into law.

At a mostly friendly closed-door meeting, the billionaire carrying out President Trump’s bid to shrink the federal bureaucracy fielded queries about how senators could be more involved in the effort.