The bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. has gotten out of hand. Things are about to change.
And now these federal agencies are on the chopping block thanks to Donald Trump.
Aides for Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are actively engaging with federal government staffers to shape the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a recent report.
Representatives of DOGE have begun discussions with employees from over a dozen federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, The Washington Post revealed Friday.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s Vision for Government Reform
Musk and Ramaswamy are spearheading DOGE as a blue-ribbon committee independent of the federal government. Their mission: tackle government inefficiency, excessive spending, and bureaucratic waste. The committee plans to propose executive actions for the incoming Trump administration and collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to implement reforms.
Their ambitious goal is to identify and eliminate $2 trillion from the federal budget through spending cuts, program reductions, and streamlining the federal workforce. However, Musk has tempered expectations, suggesting that achieving a $1 trillion cut may be a more realistic outcome.
“I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,” Musk said at the CES tech trade show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, as reported by the Post.
“But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion].”
Growing Support from Capitol Hill
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have shown enthusiasm for DOGE’s mission. Representatives Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) launched the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus last year to support the initiative.
“Our national debt has surpassed a staggering $36 trillion and should be a wakeup call for all Americans,” said Rep. Bean, co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus, in a November statement.
“We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin. I’m thrilled with President-elect Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, but taking on Crazy Town will be no easy task — they will need partners.”
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has been named to oversee the Senate DOGE Caucus. “The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst declared in a statement last November.
Building the Framework for Efficiency
DOGE currently operates with a team of approximately 50 staff members, working out of SpaceX’s offices in Washington, D.C. The group plans to double its staff after President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20, according to the Post.
While Ramaswamy’s representative declined to comment, the initiative has sparked similar efforts at the state level. Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire announced the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) during her inaugural address.
“COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state,” Ayotte said.
As DOGE ramps up its operations, it represents a bold attempt to reshape government operations and bring fiscal responsibility to the forefront of the national agenda.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
