Trump Appoints Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead DOGE, Aiming $2 Trillion Cuts by July 2026

Dec 9, 2024, 02:25 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The initiative aims to address the United States' $36 trillion national debt by cutting $2 trillion in government spending. DOGE's mission includes reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in government operations, as well as redesigning inefficient systems such as procurement processes and taxpayer spending. The committee, also referred to as Trump’s DOGE Committee, will operate publicly as required by law and plans to provide recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by July 2026. However, DOGE currently lacks funding and will rely on private contributions to commission GAO reports and conduct fact-finding missions. Advocates argue that Congress must take the initiative seriously for it to succeed in reshaping the nation's fiscal trajectory.