What Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy could abolish in the name of government efficiency
President-elect Donald Trump has tasked Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy with reducing government expenses and implementing reforms in the federal bureaucracy to enhance efficiency.
For years, both men have hinted that their goals extend beyond merely trimming down Washington. It seems they are gearing up to tackle the elimination of significant portions of the bureaucracy altogether.
“Having 99 federal agencies is definitely too much,” Musk tweeted late Tuesday following the official announcement from Trump. This implies there could be a significant reduction in the many current agencies, particularly highlighting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Department of Education as primary targets.
Musk later revised his estimate down even further, ignoring the fact that a government database indicates there are 80 agencies that start with the letter U alone.
Musk and Ramaswamy have openly talked about getting rid of prominent government agencies such as the Department of Education, the FBI, and the IRS.
During his presidential campaign last year, Ramaswamy vowed to dismantle at least five major agencies. He also mentioned the possibility of reducing the Federal Reserve's workforce by 90%.
Musk remarked in Tuesday's announcement that this will create a significant impact throughout the system.
It’s still unclear how far the new leaders of this government efficiency initiative plan to go in making cuts and whether they’ll be able to turn their ideas into reality as they offer suggestions and support from outside the government.
However, they now have the official support of President-elect Trump.
Ramaswamy likely has the most detailed plan based on his experiences while campaigning as a former competitor to Trump.
In his campaign for the presidency in 2023, he committed to terminating 75% of federal workers and vowed to eliminate at least five prominent federal agencies. This included plans to dismantle the Department of Education, the FBI, the ATF, the IRS, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Food and Nutrition Service within the USDA.
He was also very attentive to influencing the Federal Reserve. He pledged to implement substantial reductions and stated in a 2023 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that "I plan to make the 2024 presidential election, in part, a vote on the appropriate function of our central bank."
The emphasis on monetary policy arises from Trump's inconsistent statements over the years regarding his intentions to dismiss or reduce the role of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. On Thursday, Powell made it clear that he plans to stay put, regardless of any attempts by Trump.
