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Billionaire Elon Musk has secured a White House office and email address to spearhead a new initiative aimed at reducing government spending. Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a focus on modernizing federal technology and software to improve productivity.
The creation of the DOGE Service, formerly known as the US Digital Service, was formalized by Trump’s executive order signed on Monday. The DOGE initiative aims to introduce a more efficient government structure, starting with technological improvements across federal agencies. While the office will be small, with about 20 staff members, its impact is expected to extend across multiple agencies, with at least four-person teams designated at each federal agency to carry out the mission.
However, the executive order outlined a more narrow scope than Musk had envisioned. Initially, the billionaire had highlighted the potential for budget cuts and deregulation, but these goals were not explicitly mentioned in the order. Instead, the focus remains on maximizing governmental efficiency and modernizing software and technology.
The DOGE initiative is part of Trump’s larger vision to reduce the size and scope of federal agencies, a long-standing priority of the Republican party. Musk has been a vocal supporter of Trump and has helped fund the president’s campaign in the past. Despite potential conflicts of interest, given Musk’s businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, benefiting from government contracts, Musk stated that he would not be compensated for his role in leading DOGE.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, was initially selected to join the effort but will not be participating as he prepares for a gubernatorial campaign in Ohio.
The establishment of DOGE has not been without controversy. A union representing federal employees has already filed a lawsuit, challenging the Trump administration’s approach to cutting government spending through this new initiative.
As Musk prepares to lead the charge for greater efficiency, many are watching closely to see how DOGE will impact the federal landscape and whether it will achieve the promised reductions in government spending.
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