The DOGE Files

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DOGE - Is It Really Groundbreaking?

13-Feb-25

President Trump made a promise (among many others) on the campaign trail to cut government waste and spending, announcing a committee to take charge of this project if elected. The thought of getting rid of waste and unnecessary spending in the government was a welcomed idea. But it's who was chosen to run this efficiency department that has raised concern: Elon Musk - the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X along with Vivek Ramaswamy - an entrepreneur that founded a pharmaceutical company and a one time 2024 Presidential candidate. Two high net-worth individuals with no governmental experience.

Since Trump's win, Ramaswamy has left DOGE (before it really got started) to pursue a gubernatorial bid in Ohio leaving Musk as the sole point man for the committee.

So, what is DOGE and Who Are the Key People?

DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency, is not an official government department but rather an outside consulting group whose task is to find and cut wasteful spending within the United States Government. Since the inauguration, the group has infiltrated several government departments such as USAID, Department of the Treasury, Social Security Administration, the Department of Education and has its sites set on and the Pentagon next.

The group, and primary figure, is Elon Musk along with several key figureheads:

1. Tom Krause, CEO of the Cloud Software Group, who on Friday was put in charge of the Treasury Department's system.
2. Amanda Scales, who worked for Musk at xAI, has been named chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - the "HR" arm of the Government.
3. Riccardo Biasini, who worked at Musk's Tesla and the Boring Company, is senior adviser to the director at OPM.
4. Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla Software engineer, is now running the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services unit, which develops tech for the government.

On top of the key heads, there are several - mainly young male - staffers, most of whom are engineers and connected to Musk's companies in one way or another. Some have been in charge of interviewing staff at various agencies, often only providing their first name according to a source that spoke to NPR under the condition of anonymity.

A breakdown of what's been investigated..so far

DOGE has been making quick work of going through the various government agencies, cutting spend and firing workers.

To date, DOGE has had an impact on the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of the Treasury, NASA, and USAID.

1. Department of Education: The DOGE team has effectively dismantled the department, and canceled grants and taking over systems.
2. CFPB: The team has installed themselves within the CFPB, conducted firings and halted work.
3. Department of the Treasury: The DOGE team started the process of looking at potentially sensitive data, including access to the Treasury's payment systems, however a federal Judge has since blocked the teams access over security concerns.
4. DOGE is reviewing NASA's spending, with hundreds of employees accepting buyout offers. This includes scrutiny of major projects like the Space Launch System. This does raise concerns, and potential conflicts, given Musks' private ventures with space programs (SpaceX).
5. USAID: The DOGE team targeting this department first, letting all employees go on paid leave, cancelled programs and aid going to foreign countries. A federal judge, appointed by Trump in his first team, has blocked DOGE from any further work within USAID until at least February 21st according to reports.

The Objections to DOGE

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has faced significant objections and criticisms since its inception. Key concerns include:

1. Legal and Constitutional Challenges

• Overreach of Authority: Critics argue that DOGE's actions, such as dismantling federal agencies and seizing congressionally appropriated funds, violate Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which grants spending powers exclusively to Congress. 
• Dismissal of Inspectors General: The abrupt firing of at least 17 inspectors general across various federal agencies has raised concerns about undermining government oversight and accountability. 

2. Transparency and Accountability Issues

• Access to Sensitive Data: DOGE's unrestricted access to sensitive government data, including personal information of citizens and details of public contractors, has led to privacy concerns and potential conflicts of interest, especially given Musk's business ventures such as SpaceX, Tesla and X.
• Lack of Oversight: The rapid implementation of DOGE's initiatives with minimal congressional oversight has been described as a "constitutional emergency" by some lawmakers. This led to the DOGE subcommittee, led by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, to be created. Many simply want the receipts.

3. Impact on Essential Services

• Agency Shutdowns: DOGE's aggressive cost-cutting measures have led to the dismantling of agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), potentially leaving consumers vulnerable to financial fraud and affecting international aid programs. 
• Employee Morale and Public Trust: Mass layoffs and the perceived hostile takeover of government functions have led to protests and declining morale among federal employees, and on the flips side, eroding public trust in government institutions. 

4. Conflicts of Interest

• Business Interests: Concerns have been raised about potential conflicts between DOGE's actions and Musk's personal business interests, particularly with DOGE's access to sensitive data that could benefit his companies. 

These objections highlight the complex challenges and controversies surrounding DOGE's efforts to reform government operations. And this is not the first time reform in the government has been done.

REGO

In 1993, then President Clinton tapped VP Al Gore to streamline the federal government, and the project was called Reinventing Government - or REGO. It also was more formally known as National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), and was aimed to reform the federal government to "work better, cost less, and get results Americans care about."

REGO had some success in its tenure. It cute 24,000 federal jobs with deep cuts within 13 of the 14 cabinet department. They also eliminated obsolete federal offices, created accountable metrics, technology integrations and more.

Prior to REGO, President Ronald Reagan had the Grace Commission in which he tapped an outside group to look at - you guessed it - government waste and spending.

So the concept of DOGE is nothing new - which seems to be going over many peoples heads. Republican AND Democrat administrations have both implemented plans similar to DOGE and had some success. It's too early to tell what impact DOGE will have, but suffice to say they are being aggressive.

Stay tuned for more updates on DOGE posted above ☝🏻 this one in the coming weeks and months.