Government Efficiency (3 Viewers)

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    RobF

    RobF

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    I think this topic deserves its own thread, both to discuss generally the topic of government efficiency, and specifically the so-called 'Department of Government Efficiency' and the incoming Trump administration's aims to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies".

    The announcements have been covered in the The Trump Cabinet and key post thread, but to recap, Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will work together on a not-actually-an-official-government-Department of Government Efficiency, which is intended to work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to "drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before," with the 'Department' to conclude its work "no later than July 4, 2026."

    Musk has previously said that the federal budget could be reduced by "at least $2 trillion", and Ramaswarmy, during his presidential campaign, said he would fire more than 75% of the federal work force and disband agencies including the Department of Education and the FBI.
     
    A group of 77 Democrats has called on the White House to commit to a May 30 deadline for Elon Musk to finish in his unprecedented role inside the government, arguing the DOGE billionaire must step down by then under federal law.

    In a letter to the president, led by Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, the lawmakers alleged that Musk had used his position as a so-called “special government employee” to enrich himself while slashing billions from the federal government and impacting key services.

    “In his short time in government, Elon Musk has done enormous harm to working Americans,” the Wednesday letter, obtained by Axios, read. “Musk’s reckless destruction of government agencies has led to everything from seniors having challenges accessing Social Security to veterans losing access to care at VA hospitals.”

    It also pointed to federal actions like Musk’s SpaceX winning billions in federal contracts this month as potential conflicts of interest, with the lawmakers saying they “demand that you stop ignoring federal law and ethics rules to empower an unelected billionaire.”………



    www.independent.co.uk

    House Democrats warn Trump that Musk must leave by May 30 under federal law

    Musk has said DOGE will have accomplished ‘most’ of its work by May deadline
    www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
     
    IMG_1658.jpeg


     
    But according to an official whistleblower disclosure shared with Congress and other federal overseers that was obtained by NPR, subsequent interviews with the whistleblower and records of internal communications, technical staff members were alarmed about what DOGE engineers did when they were granted access, particularly when those staffers noticed a spike in data leaving the agency. It's possible that the data included sensitive information on unions, ongoing legal cases and corporate secrets — data that four labor law experts tell NPR should almost never leave the NLRB and that has nothing to do with making the government more efficient or cutting spending.

    ​

    DOGE says it needs to know the government's most sensitive data, but can't say why​


    Meanwhile, according to the disclosure and records of internal communications, members of the DOGE team asked that their activities not be logged on the system and then appeared to try to cover their tracks behind them, turning off monitoring tools and manually deleting records of their access — evasive behavior that several cybersecurity experts interviewed by NPR compared to what criminal or state-sponsored hackers might do.
    Click to expand...


    https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
     
    The State Department is looking to close dozens of embassies and consulates overseas as part of its effort to dramatically reduce the United States’ diplomatic presence abroad, according to internal documents obtained by CNN.

    The information, part of the FY 2026 budget proposal, proposes sweeping changes that are apparently meant to reduce federal spending – a goal of the Department of Government Efficiency and senior adviser Elon Musk.

    It recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates – many in Europe and Africa – and consolidating them into embassies in nearby countries, Punchbowl reported.

    It also recommends consolidating outposts in countries such as Japan and Canada, and reducing U.S. diplomatic missions in countries such as Somalia and Iraq, CNN reported.

    The proposed changes were made “based on feedback from regional bureaus and the interagency, consular workload, cost per billet, condition of facilities and security ratings,” the memos say, according to Punchbowl.…..

    www.independent.co.uk

    Trump administration proposes closing entire embassies and consulates: report

    A preliminary FY2026 budget proposal reportedly suggests closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates
    www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
     
    Optimus Prime said:
    The State Department is looking to close dozens of embassies and consulates overseas as part of its effort to dramatically reduce the United States’ diplomatic presence abroad, according to internal documents obtained by CNN.

    The information, part of the FY 2026 budget proposal, proposes sweeping changes that are apparently meant to reduce federal spending – a goal of the Department of Government Efficiency and senior adviser Elon Musk.

    It recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates – many in Europe and Africa – and consolidating them into embassies in nearby countries, Punchbowl reported.

    It also recommends consolidating outposts in countries such as Japan and Canada, and reducing U.S. diplomatic missions in countries such as Somalia and Iraq, CNN reported.

    The proposed changes were made “based on feedback from regional bureaus and the interagency, consular workload, cost per billet, condition of facilities and security ratings,” the memos say, according to Punchbowl.…..

    www.independent.co.uk

    Trump administration proposes closing entire embassies and consulates: report

    A preliminary FY2026 budget proposal reportedly suggests closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates
    www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
    Click to expand...
    This Administration continent to be an isolationist wet dream.
     

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