SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy co-authored an op-ed article on the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which they will lead in the second Trump administration starting next year. Their goals for DOGE include cutting costs and conducting a sweeping roll back of federal regulations, as outlined in a Wall Street Journal article. President-elect Donald Trump appointed the two billionaires to the project to advise the White House and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The article detailed their plans to reduce government spending, slash regulations, and eliminate wasteful federal agencies. Musk and Ramaswamy emphasized the need to address the growing bureaucracy that poses a threat to the republic, stating that they aim to take action rather than just writing reports or cutting ribbons. They intend to work with a lean team of small-government advocates to collaborate with the OMB in cutting costs and curbing government spending.
They plan to focus on implementing changes through executive action based on existing legislation, with the U.S. Constitution serving as their guide. They highlighted two key Supreme Court decisions from 2021, West Virginia v. EPA and Loper Bright v. Raimondo, as foundational to their reform efforts.
The efficiency department will work with legal experts to apply these court rulings to regulations and reduce the number of government bureaucrats in proportion to nullified regulations. Musk and Ramaswamy also aim to assist in transitioning displaced public-sector employees to the private sector through incentives like early retirement or voluntary severance payments.
DOGE may target the Pentagon, with its massive budget and recent audit failures, as part of their cost-cutting initiatives. Musk and Ramaswamy believe that focusing on waste, fraud, and abuse within government spending can yield significant savings for taxpayers.
The two leaders have set a target of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, using innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and crowd-sourcing to identify and eliminate inefficiencies. Their ambitious plans aim to streamline government operations and reduce unnecessary expenditures for the benefit of taxpayers.
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