President-Elect Donald Trump has named Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a 'Department of Government Efficiency', an agency entrusted with overseeing drastic changes to the government by cutting it to size.
A statement by Trump read that the duo will lead 'DOGE', an idea mooted by Musk himself. Though it has a government to its name, Musk and Ramaswamy will work outside the government and advise the White House and its budget office by providing recommendations to slash regulations, cut staff and overhaul federal operations.
Trump likened the effort to the "Manhattan Project", stating "this will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!"
"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the 'Save America’ Movement," Trump added (sic).
The President-Elect said the DOGE's work must be completed by no later than July 4, 2026, which is the next midterm election. "They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE," the president-elect said.
However, there are so far no details of the department, including its size, staff and details of its mission.
How will 'DOGE' work?
Despite Trump's statement, it is unclear as to how the 'DOGE' will work. Major news websites say the agency could come under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which stipulates the workings of the external groups that advise the government.
There are also apprehensions about how the 'DOGE' will be funded and whether its recommendations will have to be considered as federal spending is controlled by Congress and the White House. However, the wide expectation is that 'DOGE's recommendations may be approved as the Republicans are in control of the House, Senate and White House.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy had earlier called for cuts to the federal budget — Musk batted for $2 trillion while Ramaswamy insisted on reducing the workforce by over 75 per cent.
Trump had mooted the idea of naming Musk as the head of a government efficiency commission in September during a speech to the New York Economic Club.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reported that Ramaswamy had “been with Elon all week” since Trump's reelection.
