President-elect Donald Trump has made his first official announcement on the much-touted Department of Government Efficiency – DOGE. In a statement released Tuesday, November 12, he wrote that the yet-to-be-created office will be jointly headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, giving it a two-year mandate to effect substantial change. It will "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," he wrote.
And it seems that the former and future president has high hopes for this venture, saying, "It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time… Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of ‘DOGE’ for a very long time."
In Government, or Out?
Trump wrote that this project will provide "advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before." So, is this to be an official government department? Well, that depends on what the definition of “is” is.
Presidents can create or restructure agencies with congressional authority, but, of course, any government department - along with its various agencies - must get its funding from Congress. As the Heritage Foundation makes clear:
“The President currently has no general statutory authority to reorganize the executive branch. Yet Congress could decide to enact a law similar to the last-used Reorganization Act of 1977 or one of its progenitors. Even without statutory authority, the President may convene a task force or commission to study concerns within the executive branch and recommend changes to Congress. History provides several examples that met with varying degrees of success.”
An advantage for Musk and Ramaswamy is that if they work in an “advisory” capacity, it would be more problematic to demand that they divest themselves of business interests attached to government contracts. Both have shown a willingness to spend their fortunes on political endeavors and offering advice could require little or no fiscal outlay. One might say that such independence unburdens them of what has been.
But What Will It Actually Do?
Musk outlined his plans for the nascent department at an October rally, saying:
“We're going to be very open and transparent and be very clear about this is what we're doing [with the Department of Government Efficiency], here are the issues, this is the math for what's being spent. We're going to make the spending lower. And if somebody's got a better idea for how to make the spending lower, tell us. But if we don't, we're going to bankrupt the country. And so, we got to do something. And it's got to be some pretty big moves.
Ramaswamy seemed similarly enthused, posting on X that “DOGE will soon begin crowdsourcing examples of government waste, fraud, & and abuse. Americans voted for drastic government reform & they deserve to be part of fixing it.”
And this appears to be a key thematic element of the venture: open-source reporting on the proliferation of government “largesse.”
It has long been the pet project of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, using his annual “Festivus” report to expose government spending on projects that appear to have little impact on actual governance. A Christmas season treat for those who like to be informed on federal waste. It seems this niche report is about to become governmental action.
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk wrote upon the announcement.
A Note from Ecclesiastes
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV
Talk of reining in government excess is not new for a Republican administration. In fact, such talk has emanated from both sides of the aisle – often to little avail. In 1993, President Bill Clinton set up the National Partnership for Reinventing Government under VP Al Gore, the purpose being to “reinvent government.” It had minimal success. So what will be different about this new department?
Mr. Musk has a history of cutting waste. Reports suggest that when he bought Twitter in 2022, the entrepreneur cut staff and expenditure by more than 80%. Notably, for millions of users, the platform’s function remained largely unchanged – and many would argue that with the social site’s focus on free speech, it runs much better.
A Question of Will
As with any government program, scheme, or initiative, its efficacy will only be as profound as the political willingness to see it through. In DC, once design enters the wringer of congressional debate, we often see lofty plans reduced to shadows and platitudes. Edges are blunted, earmarks are applied, and pet projects are stuffed in like so much pork. What remains is little but a hollow echo.
Will this time be any different? Well, Trump has effectively two years to secure his legacy before the Senate could potentially swing back to the Democratic Party’s control. He has chosen two men to lead this charge who could rightly be described as ambitious over-achievers. By being “outside” of the inner government circle, they will not face the same constraints, which could prove to be a distinct advantage.
“A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence,” Trump declared. “I am confident they will succeed!” With his electoral mandate, a Senate that seems eager to enact his agenda, and the ever-increasing likelihood of a GOP-controlled House, he may just be right.
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