Trump’s DOGE Initiative Aims for Major Cuts to Federal Agencies
President-elect Donald Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, is set to implement sweeping reductions in the federal government, including the potential elimination of entire agencies.
In a recent appearance on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Ramaswamy outlined the department’s goal of shrinking the federal bureaucracy. He revealed that DOGE would focus on cost-cutting measures that could result in some agencies being completely dismantled.
“We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright,” Ramaswamy said, adding that the initiative would also target excessive staffing levels and the elimination of over-billing by federal contractors.
“We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated,” he continued. He emphasized the department’s plans for quick and impactful changes, citing the legal groundwork provided by the Supreme Court.
In addition to workforce reductions, DOGE is exploring the possibility of relocating certain agencies’ headquarters outside Washington, D.C. Ramaswamy explained that relocating agencies could help make the bureaucracy more responsive to the American public.
“Most federal bureaucrats don’t even show up to work,” he noted, suggesting that moving offices outside D.C. could address both efficiency and accountability issues.
DOGE plans to downsize federal agencies regardless of their location, Ramaswamy added. “Many of these agencies should be downsized wherever they are, and if they remain in D.C., they should still be made more accountable,” he said. He also acknowledged the possibility of voluntary reductions in force, a side effect that could further reduce the federal workforce.
While Ramaswamy stressed that the aim was not to harm individual federal employees, he underscored that the government’s current workforce of 4 million is unsustainable. “We don’t need 4 million civil servants who aren’t elected and can’t be removed from their positions. It’s anti-democratic,” he said.
DOGE has already begun reviewing applications for individuals interested in contributing to its cost-cutting mission. Interested parties can submit resumes via the department’s direct messages on social media.
As the department moves forward with its plans, Ramaswamy assured that the process would be compassionate, but firmly stated that drastic reforms are necessary to reduce the size and cost of the federal government.
