Since the announcement of the Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE), Elon Musk has claimed that he will use the organization to attack and dismantle much of the federal government bureaucracy. However, Musk is backtracking on his promises, citing that stated goal Previously, a $2 trillion reduction in spending from the federal budget probably wouldn't have happened.
“I think if we try to find $2 trillion, We have a good opportunity to get it,” Musk said. During a recent live chat On his platform “Like the best results.”
Those with knowledge of the federal budget process have noted that Musk's goals sound quaint, if not impossible. In fact, the biggest items in the federal budget include government spending. social security Government health insurance and defense spending They are all third political avenues. Therefore, it is not easy to eliminate these items. “Looking from the bird's eye view of the federal budget. It reveals that they are basically two things. that is army It has a health and social security program attached to it.” Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post previously written–
Sure, cutting popular social welfare programs might be the plan. Even if it is political suicide. It is certainly true that the right-wing liberal organizations behind Trump are focused on cutting government benefits to Americans. which they viewed as government “garbage” Alex Nowrasteh, vice president of economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, recently told a Utah newspaper DOGE represents “A welcome opportunity to highlight some of the areas where the federal government should be cut. and where federal intervention in our lives can roll back.”
To Nowrasteh, apparently government “interference” occurs when the Social Security Administration mails you a check. Cato recently published a report suggesting that “Raise the age of social security eligibility by three years. Reduce the size of the Social Security inflation adjustment, reduce Medicare spending by one-third, and allow enrollees to self-fund Medicare.” desert news report– civet similarly floated the opportunity or cut mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, even though those programs are hugely popular with Trump's base. Trump also suggested cutting Social Security taxes. This will hasten the financial disaster of the project.
Musk also said he would like to see DOGE “remove” various regulatory agencies. Even though it has been criticized It has been noted that this will be difficult.If it's not impossible In general, The target of Musk's removal may end up being an agency investigating his company. Musk's company has been investigated by numerous agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ministry of Justice National Highway Safety and Traffic Safety Administration, etc.
However, regulatory scrutiny is probably appropriate. Because Musk's companies are known to stir up conflict, in this case Tesla's board of directors this week agreed to pay nearly a billion to settle claims they had previously overpaid through stock options worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The legal case stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by police and the Detroit Fire Retirement System. It alleged that Tesla's directors' remuneration packages were completely untying them from normal compensation practices. Reuters notesFor example, Robyn Denholm, chair of the board of directors. Earning as much as $280 million from her compensation package.