Elon Musk's Budget-Cutting Initiative Faces Pushback and Doubts

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, begins interviews at federal agencies but faces criticism over ambitious spending cut targets.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory body aiming to reduce federal spending and bureaucracy.
DOGE representatives have started interviewing staff at key agencies, including the Treasury, IRS, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services.
Musk has scaled back his initial goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, now describing $1 trillion as a more realistic target, though experts remain skeptical.
Critics argue that the proposed cuts could disproportionately impact entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, raising concerns about potential hardships for veterans and low-income Americans.
As a non-governmental entity, DOGE can only make recommendations to Congress and the president, limiting its ability to enact changes directly.