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Elon Musk, Ramaswamy Promote $2 Trillion DOGE Plan to Cut Agencies to 99; Democrats Join

Dec 5, 2024, 03:29 PM

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, co-leaders of President-elect Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to promote the initiative aimed at cutting federal spending and streamlining government operations. The DOGE plan proposes to reduce the number of federal agencies from 428 to 99, targeting $2 trillion in savings. Musk and Ramaswamy met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, both of whom expressed support for the plan. Speaker Johnson stated his intention to help implement the reduction of agencies. Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida became the first Democrat to join the House DOGE Caucus, followed by Representative Greg Landsman of Ohio. Representative Henry Cuellar and Representative Ro Khanna also indicated interest in joining or working with DOGE, highlighting bipartisan support for the initiative. Republican lawmakers, including Representatives Aaron Bean, Ben Cline, Eli Crane, Rich Hudson, and others, expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with DOGE to rein in government inefficiency. Aaron Bean promoted DOGE during a Republican Study Committee lunch, and over 40 members have signed up to join the caucus. Musk was accompanied by his son, X, during the meetings, which included a 3 p.m. gathering with House Republicans held behind closed doors. William McGinley was named as Counsel to DOGE to assist in slashing regulations, spending, and waste. Lawmakers from both parties are eager to work with Musk and Ramaswamy to reduce ineffective government spending, with the goal of hitting the ground running in January. The visit reflects a growing alliance between tech leaders and policymakers focused on fiscal responsibility and indicates potential for future legislation to support the DOGE initiative.