Billionaire Musk plans mass layoffs, streamlining government apparatus
Báo Dân trí•21/11/2024
(Dan Tri) - Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have outlined a plan to streamline the government apparatus while leading the Government Performance Board.
US President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk (Photo: NBC).
In an article published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on November 20, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, two billionaires chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE), outlined a plan to oversee significant cuts in federal agency staff. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, two loyal allies of Mr. Trump, were chosen to lead the effort to "eliminate government bureaucracy, cut redundant regulations, cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies." "The two of us will advise DOGE at every step to pursue three main types of reform: deregulation, administrative cuts and cost savings," the two billionaires said. In the article in the WSJ , the two businessmen argued that the role of these federal employees will no longer be necessary after President-elect Trump abolishes "thousands of regulations" in the new administration he leads. Musk and Ramaswamy said the number of federal employees who would need to be cut would be “at least as large” as the number of regulations eliminated. “Not only would fewer employees be required to enforce fewer regulations, but agencies would also make fewer regulations when their authority is properly limited,” the billionaires said. Musk and Ramaswamy criticized federal employees for “presuming they are immune to being fired because of civil service protections.” The billionaires cited recent Supreme Court rulings to argue that the new president has executive authority to roll back regulations, could “massively fire” federal employees and move some agencies out of Washington. The billionaires did not specify how many federal employees would be cut, or which agencies would be targeted, if their plan were implemented. They said that “dismissed employees deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and DOGE’s goal is to help them transition to the private sector.” The two entrepreneurs also said they would push to eliminate work-from-home policies for federal employees, an idea that could cause conflict between the new administration and the old administration’s federal employees. “Requiring federal employees to come into the office five days a week would lead to a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don’t want to come to work, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the privilege of staying home during Covid-19,” the billionaires said. Musk and Ramaswamy said the new Government Performance Board, which is outside the government but advises the White House on budget and spending issues, would help reduce the federal workforce by forcing employees to resign. In the editorial, the billionaires said their roles on the Government Performance Board were as “outside volunteers, not officials or federal employees.” Musk and Ramaswamy had previously said they would not take salaries for their positions on DOGE. “We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not civil servants or federal employees. Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we will not just write reports or cut ribbons. We will cut costs,” the billionaires stressed. According to Reuters, federal employees have mobilized in anticipation of massive layoffs by the new administration. They have reportedly hired lawyers and prepared publicity campaigns, and are hoping Congress will step in.
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