The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is off to a rocky start. However, assistance appears to be coming from the most unlikely places: Elizabeth Warren, a senior United States senator from Massachusetts who has been in office since 2013.
Known for her progressive policies, Senator Warren did not agree with some of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting recommendations, especially in “Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and other programs that tens of millions of Americans count on,” calling them “unrealistic and cruel.”
Senator Warren maintains that even though DOGE has tempered expectations from its ambitious $2 trillion, she still believes its current target is unrealistic and dangerous. However, she expressed her openness to work with Musk to help the DPGE commission cut $2 trillion in U.S. spending in other areas.
Elizabeth Warren’s suggestions to Musk regarding DOGE
On Thursday, Senator Warren sent Musk a letter containing 30 recommendations for how the DOGE commission could slash $2 trillion in U.S. spending over the next decade.
Some of her suggestions include several progressive policies like closing tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest earners, renegotiating Department of Defense (DOD) contracts, and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower costs for prescription drugs.
Warren claimed that the federal government could save up to $200 billion by renegotiating defense contracts, citing a 2011 report that revealed contractors often hike prices for the military.
Musk has yet to publicly address the letter, but many are watching to see how he and his team will respond, although many don’t see him just agreeing with her.
People conversant with Musk’s posts on X will know he and the Senator have gotten into virtual sparring matches on X in the past. In one public spat from late 2021, Warren accused Musk of “freeloading off of everyone else,” while Musk clapped back by calling her “Senator Karen.”
Warren also recently expressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest posed by Musk’s new intimacy with the White House. In December, the senator wrote to President Trump asking for conflict-of-interest rules to cover Musk.
“Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict of interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,” her letter read.
As far as she is concerned, Musk is “no ordinary citizen” but the “CEO of several companies that have significant interests before the federal government,” highlighting Tesla’s government contracts to provide electric vehicles and services to the federal government.
Trump has yet to respond and is not likely to, given how close he and Musk have gotten in recent times.
Vivek Ramaswamy is leaving DOGE to run for Ohio office
Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in creating the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk. However, recent reports claim he is no longer with the commission.
Ramaswamy was expected to clean up spending excesses with Musk, but he left the Department of Government Efficiency, citing a desire to pursue a political career, specifically to run for governor of Ohio.
A spokesperson has confirmed that Ramaswamy made the decision based on his need to remain outside of DOGE due to its structure and his political ambitions.
He departed not long after Donald Trump took office for his second presidential term.
DOGE faces many issues
Never mind that it is just early days, and Musk has yet to implement any real changes, DOGE has been slammed with three lawsuits since January 20, when Trump took office.
The billionaire has also reneged on some of the department’s promises around budget cuts, leading to skepticism regarding his ability to deliver. In an interview broadcast on X, Musk told political strategist Mark Penn that the previously promised $2 trillion figure was a “best-case outcome” and believed they only had a “good shot” at cutting half that.
As it stands, it is unclear how the billionaire plans to cut government spending. He has been talking to tech leaders, asking for tips on how to root out unnecessary red tape and eliminate waste.
The popular suggestion appears to be a sizable reduction in government headcount. In fact, according to an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, the then DOGE co-chairs said they anticipate “mass headcount reductions across the federal bureaucracy.”
Musk is no stranger to downsizing workforces. He has done it at his companies, most notably slashing X’s overall headcount by nearly 80%. The billionaire has also conducted several rounds of layoffs at Tesla.
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