Today, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is headed to the Hill. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead this effort to start draining the swamp and meet with politicians in D.C. We all know that this new venture created by Donald Trump is just an outside advisory commission. So what can they really do?
First, Musk and Ramaswamy are volunteers who help put this team together. Their goal is to have massive government rehabilitation for out-of-control spending.
So, while the DOGE cannot take any action, it can present things to Trump for him to use Executive Orders.
“DOGE will present this list of regulations to President Trump, who can, by executive action, immediately pause the enforcement of those regulations and initiate the process for review and rescission,” they wrote. – BBC
Victory Girl Lisa wrote a nice piece about DOGE with some fine examples of where to start cutting.
And Mike Johnson stepped out yesterday with some strong language. Whoa.
Under President Trump, we will take a blowtorch to the administrative state and reduce the size and scope of government.
House and Senate Republicans look forward to hosting Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy tomorrow to discuss how the Department of Government Efficiency can help… pic.twitter.com/6GKbga0sCU
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 5, 2024
“Take a blowtorch to the administrative state and reduce the size and scope of the government.” WOW. Yes sir. Oh, please don’t break my heart, Mike.
I must admit, I like this Mike Johnson. Perhaps, with Trump back and having the majority in the House and Senate, we will see more of this side of Mike Johnson. Get to work; we have two years.
Working is precisely what Donald Trump has been doing: announcing his appointees and having DOGE go to D.C. today.
I hope Mike Johnon’s invitation for Musk and Ramaswamy to visit for a “brainstorming session” isn’t just to placate the new DOGE. The media keep touting that DOGE plans to do this and do that and cut this and end spending now. But really, DOGE can’t do any of that on its own. Of course, you know that it is simply to suggest where to cut all the crap.
The goal is to cut 2 trillion dollars. So, the question is, again, what can they do?
The specifics do not seem nailed down, but the overall picture is clear – Doge’s leaders want major government reform, by way of major cuts.
The federal bureaucracy “represents an existential threat to our republic,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in the Journal. “Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won’t just write reports or cut ribbons. We’ll cut costs.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, has said he can find more than $2tn in savings – around a third of annual federal government spending.
And the two have said they will slash federal regulations, oversee mass layoffs and shut down some agencies entirely. – BBC
But HOW?
Big words, fellas. The DOGE will only be around for two years. They’ve given themselves a deadline and promised America a gift for our 250th-anniversary celebration with a smaller government.
Some question whether this new outside advisory DOGE is another Grace Commission where they recommend something, but then the aristocrats bureaucrats ignore all the recommendations.
Believe it or not, some Democrats, such as Bernie Sanders and John Fetterman, are even on board with DOGE, and now the first Democrat has been selected to be on the newly created House DOGE caucus.
And others,
A Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus — or DOGE Caucus — in the House already has several dozen members, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is leading a Senate DOGE Caucus. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is set to chair a subcommittee also related to DOGE and its efforts. – The Hill
And this from Marjorie Taylor-Greene,
“But I honestly think that there’s been a serious mandate from the American people, and I think that will give, hopefully our side of the aisle, tremendous courage to do the right thing,” said Greene, whose subcommittee will be within the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and will explore ways to reduce spending and reduce red tape. – The Hill
That is correct, Marjore. It is indeed a mandate from the American people. Do not let us down.
So I am curious to hear from you all. What would you like to see on the list for Elon and Vivek? Comments are open.
Feature Image: D.C. Street/Wikipedia/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Edited in Canva Pro
draigh says: First. Decertify government unions. Why in the hell do government workers need a union in the first place. They already have the cushiest jobs on the planet and there is no accountability.
draigh says: Some will say that the government workers will go on strike. Good! A government shutdown for a month will cull out those who decide to get jobs elsewhere and automatically decrease some of the excess fat in the bureaucracy!
Michael M says: Government employees need a Union to allow them to earn position, even when they move between jobs. That’s fine… but no compensation negotiations. You want the job, you take the pay. You don’t accept that pay level? Okay, we’ll keep looking around to fill the position.
If/when they DO go on strike, officially or unofficially… do NOT give them back pay and bonuses.
When an official is found guilty of excessive waste, fraud or abuse, they should lose all health and retirement benefits. Oh, and not in a Court of Law… make it Administrative Fiat. They understand those. Guilty until proven innocent. It’s the world they created, they can now live in it.
Give bonuses to administrators who do NOT use all of their allotted funds… a small percentage, say, for every Million Dollars they return to the Treasury.
Bonuses for Gov’t employees who point out large waste to cut. Or maybe immunity from being fired at the recommendation of D.O.G.E.
Use Artificial Intelligence to audit the Pentagon, the various departments, and yes… the Fed.
Again, prosecute those you find committing fraud or excessive waste… and remove their retirement benefits, unless they are the ones who bring it to the attention of D.O.G.E.
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