DOGE representatives hold meeting with federal workers in efforts to reduce government waste, report says
Aides to Tesla and Space Department (DOGE) staff.
DOGE representatives have spoken with staff from more than a dozen federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, The Washington Post reported Friday.
Musk and Ramaswamy lead DOGE, a blue-ribbon commission independent of the federal government that addresses issues around government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. They are expected to recommend executive actions for the Trump administration and work with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to initiate reforms.
The committee’s overall goal is to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget through cuts in spending, government programs and the federal workforce.
The new governor of the United States follows Trump’s lead and appoints a governor-like committee
President-elect Trump announced that Elon Musk (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (right) will lead the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) on November 12, 2024. (Getty Images)
However, Musk recently expressed doubts about the possibility of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, saying that $1 trillion in cuts was more likely.
“I think we’re going to try $2 trillion. I think that’s the best outcome,” Musk said Wednesday at the technology trade show CES in Las Vegas, The Washington Post reported. “But I do Think you have to have some excess. I think if we try to raise $2 trillion, we have a good chance of getting $1. [trillion]”.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed support for working with DOGE, with Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, last year announcing the creation of the Organization for Excellence in Government Efficiency. DOGE” core group.
What you need to know about DOGE and its quest to cut government waste and spending
“Our national debt has surpassed a staggering $36 trillion, which should be a wake-up call to all Americans,” Bean, co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus, said in a statement in November. “We must take action to avoid jumping in head first.” On the precipice of fiscal collapse. I’m very excited about President-elect Trump appointing Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, but defeating Crazy Town will not be easy— —They need partners.
Likewise, Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst will oversee the Senate Governor’s Caucus.
“The tables have finally turned, the knives are out of the oven and the waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst said in a November statement.
Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst speaks with reporters after the Senate Republicans’ weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 6, 2024. (Reuters/Bonnie Cash)
According to the Washington Post, DOGE currently has about 50 employees working in SpaceX’s office in Washington, D.C., with the goal of doubling that number when President-elect Trump is sworn in on January 20.
A representative for Ramaswamy declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
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DOGE appears to be an inspiration for other similar initiatives at the state level. For example, Kelly Ayotte, the Republican governor of the swing state of New Hampshire, announced Thursday the creation of the Council on Government Effectiveness, or COGE.
“COGE will make us smarter than ever before in saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state,” Ayotte said in his inaugural address.
