Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aiming to “delete” wasteful government agencies. However, their ambitious goal faces significant bureaucratic, congressional, and political headwinds.
The DOGE will likely function as an outside advisory group, making recommendations on shrinking federal spending but not having the power to enact changes itself under current law. Experts warn that Musk’s previous success in the private sector does not guarantee success in government, particularly in cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget.
Ramaswamy has expressed interest in eliminating certain agencies, while Trump has also expressed interest in doing away with the Department of Education. However, experts say such efforts would be difficult to achieve politically and present a new dilemma: what agency would take on the roles of another if it were to be axed?
The potential roadblocks include the inability of presidents to eliminate agencies or Cabinet departments without Congress’ support, as well as the complexity of firing federal employees. Experts also caution that simply moving programs from one agency to another and deleting a bureaucratic body does not significantly downsize the government.
Conservative activists see Trump’s second term as an opportunity to push GOP lawmakers on long-held stances, including large-scale cuts to government agencies. However, the pressure is high, particularly with single-party control of Congress and the presidency.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com