Overview

• 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.