Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has joined forces with President-elect Donald Trump on a mission to downsize the US government, including potentially slashing budgets and workforces of science agencies. This move has raised concerns about Musk’s political influence on science in the United States.
Musk, co-chairing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to cut 75% of federal workers and $2 trillion of government spending. However, experts say this goal is practically impossible due to the complexity of the federal budget.
The US Congress has historically resisted efforts to cut back or eliminate federal agencies, with some budgets even increasing during Trump’s first term. Nevertheless, Republicans are planning to create a panel to identify spending cuts in parallel with DOGE, which lacks the authority to implement its own recommendations.
Some research suggests that streamlining regulations can make sense, but others argue that clear and stable regulation provides the right incentives for innovation. As DOGE moves forward, it remains to be seen how Musk’s influence will impact science in the United States and beyond.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-04098-3