Published on: 11/20/2024 – 8:56 p.m.

1 minute

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, the world’s richest man said he was targeting hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending – including funding for public broadcasting and the abortion rights group Planned Parenthood – as well as the bureaucracy which represents an “existential threat”. “to American democracy.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said he, along with fellow businessman and Trump loyalist Vivek Ramaswamy, would work to reduce federal regulations and achieve significant administrative cuts and cost savings.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in their most detailed remarks since Trump named them to lead a new Ministry of Government Effectiveness.

Musk said DOGE — a nod to Musk’s support for a cryptocurrency — would prepare a list of regulations issued by government agencies without congressional approval, which Trump could then invalidate by executive order.

“When the President rescinds thousands of such regulations, critics will allege executive overreach. In fact, he will correct the executive overreach of thousands of regulations promulgated by administrative fiat that were never authorized by Congress,” Musk said.

He added that reduced regulations would pave the way for “massive workforce reductions across the federal bureaucracy,” and said DOGE would aim to cut more than $500 billion in government spending.

“With a decisive electoral mandate and a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government,” Musk said.

© 2024 AFP