Musk, Ramaswamy detail plans for Trump's Department of Government Efficiency
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been named co-leads of President-elect Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, the duo detailed their plan for the advisory group. They intend to serve as outside volunteers on a mission to streamline the federal government by rooting out what they see as wasteful and "antidemocratic" federal agencies.
DOGE's strategy to streamline federal government
Musk and Ramaswamy intend to employ "a lean team of small-government crusaders" to work with the Trump administration and the White House Office of Management and Budget. They will use recent Supreme Court rulings—West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency and Loper Bright v. Raimondo—to claim that many existing federal regulations go beyond congressional authority. "DOGE will work with legal experts embedded in government agencies, aided by advanced technology, to apply these rulings to federal regulations enacted by such agencies," they wrote.
DOGE's role in regulatory review and rescission
The co-leads went on to explain that DOGE will present a list of these regulations to President Trump. He can then, by executive action, immediately pause their enforcement and start a review process. "This would liberate individuals and businesses from illicit regulations never passed by Congress and stimulate the US economy," they added. The duo hopes this strategy will significantly cut federal regulations and workforce.
Potential targets for budget cuts under DOGE
Musk and Ramaswamy also hinted at what they would cut from the budget if they were in charge. Among them are the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which gets $535 million a year, and Planned Parenthood, which receives nearly $300 million. They even suggested some agencies, such as the Department of Education, could be "deleted outright" and its $80 billion budget given directly to parents.
DOGE's mission timeline and critics' response
The co-leads hope to wrap up DOGE's mission by July 4, 2026. However, their plans have been met with criticism. Representative Ritchie Torres argued that eliminating agencies requires an act of Congress, not just executive action. Despite the opposition, Musk and Ramaswamy remain committed to their goal of shrinking the size and scope of the federal government through DOGE.
