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Musk and Ramaswamy to Present $2 Trillion DOGE Plan; Sanders Backs Pentagon Oversight

Dec 1, 2024, 06:25 PM

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to meet with House Republicans next week to present major reform proposals for the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at Capitol Hill, aiming to reduce federal government spending and eliminate wasteful expenditures. Musk has been vocal about the need to scrutinize the Pentagon's budget, which he notes is "pretty gigantic" at $886 billion, and has failed its seventh consecutive financial audit. He argues that the interest owed on the national debt has surpassed the defense budget, calling the situation unsustainable. "All government spending is taxation... your money is being wasted, and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that," Musk said. DOGE is envisioned to be the most transparent federal agency, with Musk and Ramaswamy planning to hold weekly "Dogecasts" to share updates on their progress. The initiative aims to reduce the annual federal budget by at least $2 trillion by evaluating all federal expenditures and canceling those that do not provide great value for taxpayers. Bernie Sanders has expressed agreement with Musk's criticism of the Pentagon's fiscal management. "Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions," Sanders stated, highlighting that only 13 senators voted against the defense budget last year and emphasizing the need for greater accountability in defense spending.