After President-elect Donald Trump named billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of a new "Government Efficiency" department focused on regulating federal spending, the jokes just wrote themselves.
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump announced the creation of the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), a name that seems to nod to the dog-themed cryptocurrency popularized by Musk.
It remains uncertain whether this new entity will be part of the federal government or an external organization. Establishing an official government agency, however, would require an act of Congress.
The statement—which suggests DOGE could be "'The Manhattan Project' of our time," reads, in part:
"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement.'" ...
"I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending."
"They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to 'WE THE PEOPLE.'"
Cryptically, it says:
It will become, potentially, "The Manhattan Project" of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of "DOGE" for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government...
You can see it below.
Trump-Vance Transition
Not long after the announcement, Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has focused on consumer protection, equitable economic opportunity, and the social safety net while in office, pointed out that this new "government efficiency" department isn't exactly off to the best start:
"The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person. Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient."
You can see her post below.
And this was not lost on others either.
While most cabinet-level roles require Senate confirmation, it's unclear what process Musk and Ramaswamy will face for their potential positions, particularly if it's an entity entirely "outside of government." Which would presumably render it completely toothless without any enforcement mechanisms vis a vis Congressional spending. Almost as if it's purely for show.
For Musk, involvement in a federal role raises potential conflicts of interest, as he could gain influence over agencies regulating his government-funded companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink—all of which have also been subject to federal investigations.
Musk has claimed the federal budget could be cut by "at least" $2 trillion. Similarly, Ramaswamy has called for aggressive reductions in federal spending.
Before endorsing Trump in January and exiting the 2024 presidential race, Ramaswamy advocated reducing federal government influence, proposing to cut the Federal Reserve workforce by 90% and deport children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.
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