Latest news with #DOGEs
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Washington Should Take Efficiency Seriously
DOGE is saving billions and its doing what voters asked for. As someone who has represented the United States abroad, first as ambassador to Hungary and later as U.S. chief of protocol, Ive seen how American leadership is measured not just by strength or ideals, but by functionality. Our allies watch how we govern ourselves. And too often, what theyve seen in recent decades is an increasingly bloated federal government, mired in duplication, inefficiency, and bureaucratic inertia. Thats why the work of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, deserves serious consideration. Led by Elon Musk, DOGE has taken on a task that most administrations have promised but failed to achieve: modernizing how our federal government operates. It has consolidated overlapping offices, canceled wasteful contracts, sold underutilized properties, and implemented data-driven reforms, all aimed at reducing cost, improving performance, and saving taxpayer money. Since it began in January,DOGEhas either cut or reduced grants, leases, and contracts in over 176 departments or agencies. On its website the department reports saving $160 billion. For comparison, thats more than the entire annual budget of the Department of Transportation. Even according to independent data and analysis, DOGE efforts have already generated billions in savings. This is not a theoretical exercise in reform. It is tangible, measurable, and aligned with what the American people have repeatedly said they want: a government that delivers more by doing less. Polling backs this up. A FebruaryHarvard CAPS/Harris pollfound that 72% of Americans support the existence of an agency focused solely on eliminating waste and inefficiency in government. A clear majority (60%) said they believe DOGE is helping to rein in unnecessary federal spending. Thats not a left-wing or right-wing perspective; thats a mainstream one. DOGEs creation may have sparked controversy, particularly among those uncomfortable with Musks unconventional approach and public persona. But we shouldnt allow style to eclipse substance. If government is functioning more effectively and at a lower cost to taxpayers, then we must look seriously at how those outcomes are being achieved, and what lessons can be responsibly applied more broadly. Having served in federal roles that demand strict compliance with law, protocol, and tradition, I know firsthand that reform must operate within the boundaries of our values. Rule of law and adherence to institutional norms are non-negotiable. Yet so, too, is the need for honest appraisal: Much of our federal bureaucracy has become outdated, sprawling, and resistant to change. Streamlining is not an assault on government. It is, in fact, an affirmation of it - an attempt to make public institutions worthy of public trust. Of course, DOGEs approach is not without flaws. Musk himself has candidly admitted as much. Critics have questioned whether all reported savings are fully verified, and transparency around decision-making needs improvement. Oversight is not only appropriate - its essential. But the existence of imperfections should not be a pretext for dismissing a bold, productive effort to modernize government. We cannot let perfect be the enemy of progress. Its a time-honored tradition in Washington for good ideas to wither under partisan suspicion. But government reform should not be the property of any one party. For decades, both Republicans and Democrats have campaigned on promises to cut waste, modernize services, and rein in unnecessary spending. DOGE is doing what many in both parties have failed to do: take those promises seriously. The real question is not whether DOGE is controversial - it is. The real question is whether it is effective. So far, the evidence suggests that it is. The challenge ahead is to preserve that momentum, institutionalize the best of what DOGE is doing, fix mistakes, and ensure it is guided by transparency, accountability, and legal rigor. This moment presents a rare opportunity: the chance to reshape how government operates in a way that is more responsive to the people it serves. Instead of vilifying reformers, we should come together around a shared goal that transcends politics: building a government that works. If DOGE continues to help us get there, it deserves not derision, but support. Nancy Brinker served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary and as chief of protocol during the George W. Bush administration. She is the founder of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Promise Fund.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE for all: States are now looking to create their own cost-cutting agencies
It's raining cats and DOGEs as Republican-led states are pushing for copycat versions of the federal government's Department of Government Efficiency. President Donald Trump ordered the creation of DOGE on his first day in the White House. With world's richest Elon Musk at the helm, the 'outside of government' agency has its sights set on reducing federal funds for DEI programs, dismantling federal agencies, and terminating digital modernization projects. In the weeks since its creation, some governors have launched new departments that mimic Musk's cost-cutting agency while state legislatures have backed measures to establish them. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt launched the Division of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE-OK. New Hampshire announced the creation of her state's offshoot: COGE. "We are going to have to look to find better ways to do things with fewer dollars," Governor Kelly Ayotte said last month in her inaugural address. "Because I know nothing is harder than getting politicians to not spend money, today I am announcing the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency, or as I like to call it – the 'COGE.'" Georgia's Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, who is sponsoring a bill that proposes agencies consider more cost-effective alternatives every four years. 'What we're seeing with the Trump administration doing right with Elon Musk is exactly what we need to do at every level of government around the country,' Gooch told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Similarly in Texas, lawmakers are hoping to establish a 13-member Delivery of Government Efficiency, which aims to eliminate 'inefficiencies' within state agencies, Fox7 Austin reported. Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick listed the DOGE bill among his top priorities for the legislative session. Legislators in South Carolina have introduced measures to create the Commission on Fiscal Restraint and Government Efficiency. 'We don't have an Elon Musk in South Carolina, but it'll be similar to what's going on in Washington,' the bill's House sponsor, Majority Leader Davey Hiott, told the South Carolina Daily Gazette. In Missouri, lawmakers established the Government Efficiency Committee to investigate where the state's government could cut back. The committee's chair even launched a portal for the public to 'report any instances of government duplication, waste, or inefficiencies.' Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune warned KFVS12 that the effort to find so-called inefficiencies could get political: 'I think that what we're going to likely see are folks identifying and targeting programs they simply don't agree with politically.' Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds praised her home state's small government and cost-cutting efforts that were in place before Musk's agency was formed during a Congressional panel. Iowa has been "doing DOGE before DOGE was a thing,' she said, according to the Des Moines Register.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A DOGE of one's own: GOP-led states want to guide Musk's cuts
Republican leaders across the country are embracing DOGE. But they want to make sure their states aren't harmed by Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's cutting spree. Republicans in the states are eager to embrace the cuts that are rocking Washington and are establishing efficiency groups of their own. But they're also aware that federal money has long filled state coffers, and an abrupt reversal could send state budgets into a tailspin. They hope state-level DOGEs will serve two purposes: examining their own budgets, and also preventing cuts in Washington from decimating state programs that rely on federal dollars. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told POLITICO that he was inspired by Trump and Musk's work at the federal level, and he took the initiative to offer assistance to DOGE. 'We knew that they're going to need some help from the states,' said Stitt, who on Monday established DOGE-OK. 'When they're trying to cut $2 trillion out of the federal spending … a lot of money from the feds goes to the states.' Stitt added that governors can advise DOGE on where cuts can be most effective where state aid is concerned. 'Instead of just across the board cutting, we thought, man, they need some help from the governors to say, 'We can be more efficient in this area or this area, or if you allow block grants in this area, you can reduce our expenditures by 10 percent.' And so that's our goal,' he said. Oklahoma is one of several states that have set up their own versions of government efficiency commissions since Trump was elected. But already, Trump and Musk's push has threatened state ledgers, which are tighter than at any time since Congress sent gushers of federal pandemic cash to states. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and strong Trump backer, expressed support with other Louisiana state leaders for Trump's since-frozen executive order last month that paused federal grants across the government. But he asked the Office of Management and Budget to 'develop a responsible runway to untangle' the state from 'unnecessary and egregious policies without jeopardizing the financial stability of the state.' Still, state Republicans are eager to follow Musk and Trump's lead. Landry launched a DOGE-like program before Trump was even inaugurated. North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall announced the formation of an interim House Select Committee on Government Efficiency last month. The committee will examine 'DEI policies, excess state property and other potential waste of taxpayer dollars,' Hall said in a statement. In Texas, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick expressed support for the state House's plans to form their own, 13-member Delivery of Government Efficiency. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte's first executive order established a Commission on Government Efficiency — or COGE. Lawmakers in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri have also recently made moves to develop their own DOGE-inspired government efficiency organizations. These committees will help public officials receive input from constituents, as well as government employees, about what should be cut and what should stay, according to Amanda Nedweski, a Republican member of the Wisconsin state Assembly who chairs the Government Oversight, Accountability and Transparency Committee — otherwise known as GOAT. 'We will be taking feedback from the private sector,' Nedweski told POLITICO. 'But also we are relying on state agencies and state agency employees to bring us their concerns and to work together with them on this.' She agreed with Oklahoma Gov. Stitt about the need for states to be prepared for cuts at the federal level that could impact their budgets. And she noted the state Legislature would be willing to work with Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on them — even though Democratic governors have been raising alarms about Trump's moves. 'We're not the executive, we can only make those suggestions in terms of federal dollars coming into our state,' she said. 'If the governor wants to work with us on communicating with the federal government on the best places where we could make changes … we would love to work with our governor on that, and we'll definitely be making recommendations.' At the state executive level, Stitt is looking forward to more collaboration from Republican and Democratic governors on efficiency. Stitt, who is vice chair of the National Governors Association, anticipates government cost-cutting will be a major topic in the group's meeting in D.C. this month. 'Some of the blue state governors may have a different perspective,' said Stitt. 'But we all, generally, want to be efficient with taxpayer dollars. They may have different priorities on how to spend that money. … There's a lot of good ideas, but all I'm telling them is your limit has got to be revenue.'
Politico
07-02-2025
- Business
- Politico
A DOGE of one's own: GOP-led states want to guide Musk's cuts
Republican leaders across the country are embracing DOGE. But they want to make sure their states aren't harmed by Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's cutting spree. Republicans in the states are eager to embrace the cuts that are rocking Washington and are establishing efficiency groups of their own. But they're also aware that federal money has long filled state coffers, and an abrupt reversal could send state budgets into a tailspin. They hope state-level DOGEs will serve two purposes: examining their own budgets, and also preventing cuts in Washington from decimating state programs that rely on federal dollars. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told POLITICO that he was inspired by Trump and Musk's work at the federal level, and he took the initiative to offer assistance to DOGE. 'We knew that they're going to need some help from the states,' said Stitt, who on Monday established DOGE-OK. 'When they're trying to cut $2 trillion out of the federal spending … a lot of money from the feds goes to the states.' Stitt added that governors can advise DOGE on where cuts can be most effective where state aid is concerned. 'Instead of just across the board cutting, we thought, man, they need some help from the governors to say, 'We can be more efficient in this area or this area, or if you allow block grants in this area, you can reduce our expenditures by 10 percent.' And so that's our goal,' he said. Oklahoma is one of several states that have set up their own versions of government efficiency commissions since Trump was elected. But already, Trump and Musk's push has threatened state ledgers, which are tighter than at any time since Congress sent gushers of federal pandemic cash to states. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and strong Trump backer, expressed support with other Louisiana state leaders for Trump's since-frozen executive order last month that paused federal grants across the government. But he asked the Office of Management and Budget to 'develop a responsible runway to untangle' the state from 'unnecessary and egregious policies without jeopardizing the financial stability of the state.' Still, state Republicans are eager to follow Musk and Trump's lead. Landry launched a DOGE-like program before Trump was even inaugurated. North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall announced the formation of an interim House Select Committee on Government Efficiency last month. The committee will examine 'DEI policies, excess state property and other potential waste of taxpayer dollars,' Hall said in a statement. In Texas, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick expressed support for the state House's plans to form their own, 13-member Delivery of Government Efficiency. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte's first executive order established a Commission on Government Efficiency — or COGE. Lawmakers in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri have also recently made moves to develop their own DOGE-inspired government efficiency organizations. These committees will help public officials receive input from constituents, as well as government employees, about what should be cut and what should stay, according to Amanda Nedweski, a Republican member of the Wisconsin state Assembly who chairs the Government Oversight, Accountability and Transparency Committee — otherwise known as GOAT. 'We will be taking feedback from the private sector,' Nedweski told POLITICO. 'But also we are relying on state agencies and state agency employees to bring us their concerns and to work together with them on this.' She agreed with Oklahoma Gov. Stitt about the need for states to be prepared for cuts at the federal level that could impact their budgets. And she noted the state Legislature would be willing to work with Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on them — even though Democratic governors have been raising alarms about Trump's moves. 'We're not the executive, we can only make those suggestions in terms of federal dollars coming into our state,' she said. 'If the governor wants to work with us on communicating with the federal government on the best places where we could make changes … we would love to work with our governor on that, and we'll definitely be making recommendations.' At the state executive level, Stitt is looking forward to more collaboration from Republican and Democratic governors on efficiency. Stitt, who is vice chair of the National Governors Association, anticipates government cost-cutting will be a major topic in the group's meeting in D.C. this month. 'Some of the blue state governors may have a different perspective,' said Stitt. 'But we all, generally, want to be efficient with taxpayer dollars. They may have different priorities on how to spend that money. … There's a lot of good ideas, but all I'm telling them is your limit has got to be revenue.'
