Downsizing the federal workforce faces significant hurdles, including robust civil service protections and collective bargaining agreements. Proposed solutions like Schedule F, while impacting policymaking roles, offer limited fiscal savings. Ultimately, only Congress possesses the authority to drastically restructure the federal government, a power theoretically within the reach of the current Republican majority. However, any such endeavor risks being largely duplicative of existing proposals and ultimately unproductive.
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Following the recent election, President-elect Trump has appointed Elon Musk to lead a newly created “Department of Government Efficiency,” a move widely seen as a quid pro quo for Musk’s campaign support. This contrasts sharply with Vice President-elect Vance’s sidelined role, evidenced by his exclusion from Trump’s inner circle and his unsuccessful attempts to secure Senate confirmations for Trump’s cabinet nominees. Furthermore, Vance’s actions suggest Trump intends to replace the FBI Director, Christopher Wray, before his term expires, another indication of Trump’s disregard for established norms. The Senate Republicans’ response to these actions will determine the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches in the coming years.
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, leading a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” aim to slash $500 billion from the federal budget by leveraging recent Supreme Court rulings in *West Virginia v. EPA* and *Loper Bright*. These rulings, they argue, allow for the overturning of thousands of federal regulations and potential mass firings of federal workers, despite legal challenges. Their plan targets funding for international organizations, public broadcasting, and Planned Parenthood, relying on executive action and the courts’ interpretation of Congressional authority. Legal experts, however, warn of the potential for this approach to weaponize the courts against critical federal regulations and programs.
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President-elect Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, led by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, plans sweeping changes to the federal workforce. This includes mass layoffs (“reductions-in-force”), a mandated return to five-day workweeks in offices, and significant cuts to federal contracting. Ramaswamy cites recent Supreme Court decisions as justification, claiming they provide legal grounds for these actions, though experts dispute the feasibility and legality of such large-scale changes. These proposals face significant hurdles, including existing collective bargaining agreements and congressional oversight.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune supports President-elect Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, believing it will create a leaner, more efficient federal government. This initiative aims to cut waste, reduce regulations, and potentially relocate agencies outside Washington D.C., a move Thune supports, citing low in-person work rates among federal employees. However, concerns have been raised by the American Federation of Government Employees about potential cuts to vital social programs resulting from the initiative and proposed tax reductions. Thune also indicated openness to enabling Trump to utilize recess appointment authority to bypass Senate confirmation for certain nominees.
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have launched a new commission, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to tackle government spending. This initiative aims to recruit “revolutionaries” with high IQs willing to dedicate long hours to cost-cutting measures. The commission, which will be unpaid, seeks to identify areas for significant spending reductions, regulatory elimination, and agency restructuring. Though lacking official federal authority, the commission has set a deadline of July 4, 2026, to complete its work and has already received a surge of interest from individuals eager to participate.
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President-elect Donald Trump has appointed SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” a non-governmental entity tasked with advising the White House and the Office of Management and Budget on streamlining operations. This initiative, likened to the Manhattan Project, aims to dismantle bureaucracy, reduce regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies, all with a goal of achieving greater efficiency and transparency. The two appointees, who have pledged to make the department’s actions public, anticipate concluding their work by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
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John Q. Hosedrinker