What do Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy plan to do with DOGE?

from al Jazeera

Musk has promised to cut $2 trillion, or more than a third, of the US government’s annual budget. He said he wants to cut the number of agencies from 428 to 99.

Last week, he shared on X an old interview with Milton Friedman in which the economist lists the government departments that should be scrapped – agriculture, education, commerce – adding, “Milton Friedman was the best,” a post that is being read as things Musk would like to do.

Ramaswamy, who will co-lead the office, said he wants to cut 75 percent of the federal government workforce. The federal government employs roughly 2 million civilians. A 75 percent reduction would mean that 1.5 million people would be out of a job, which, experts said, will strip down a range of services from food stamps to defence spending.

To boost the effort, Trump ally and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has been picked to lead a DOGE subcommittee in the House of Representatives, in which she is to outline plans to fire government employees. The subcommittee has yet to be created.

Musk has acknowledged that the move would create temporary hardships but said it is for long-term prosperity...

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