Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy To Lead Department of Government Efficiency
President-elect Donald Trump has made a significant announcement, revealing that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE for short. This move fulfills Trump’s campaign promise to grant Musk sweeping oversight of federal spending ¹.
The Department of Government Efficiency aims to dismantle government bureaucracy and slash excess regulations. Musk expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating that it will “send shockwaves through the system” and target those involved in government waste ¹. On social media platform X, Musk added, “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!”
Musk has proposed cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, exceeding the discretionary budget of $1.7 trillion. However, he has provided few details on specific areas to cut, instead targeting relatively small recipients of federal funds, such as the Education Department and NPR. Trump has also vowed to eliminate the Department of Education during his campaign.
Ramaswamy, a conservative activist, has called for mass layoffs at federal agencies, potentially bypassing legal protections for federal civil servants. He suggested that mandating federal employees to work a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule could lead to a 25% reduction in bureaucracy.
The Department of Government Efficiency will operate outside of traditional government structures, advising the White House on federal agency overhauls. This arrangement may allow Musk and Ramaswamy to maintain their private sector roles while serving without Senate approval.
Trump has compared the department’s ambitions to the World War II-era Manhattan Project, aiming for “drastic change.” He set a deadline of July 4, 2026, for the department to conclude its work. To achieve these goals, Trump may seek presidential reorganization authority under the Presidential Reorganization Act, enabling him to consolidate, reorganize, or eliminate executive branch agencies.
Key Objectives of the Department of Government Efficiency:
– _Dismantle government bureaucracy_
– _Slash excess regulations_
– _Cut wasteful expenditures_
– _Restructure federal agencies_
Notable Statements:
– “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” – Elon Musk ¹
– “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!” – Elon Musk ¹
– “It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time.” – Donald Trump ¹
