DOGE Leaders Musk and Ramaswamy Meet with GOP Lawmakers on Capitol Hill

Entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the leaders of President-elect Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made their inaugural visit to Capitol Hill last week to pitch their vision of limited government, deregulation, and private sector dynamism.

The introductory meeting was the first of what is expected to be many treks to the Hill, and legislators were given the opportunity to float their own potential budget cuts.

DOGE’s goal is to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Already, Musk and Ramaswamy have drawn pushback from some lawmakers who believe that goal is unattainable without cutting defense spending, veterans benefits, or Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In the $6.1 trillion fiscal 2023 budget, the personal benefits were $3.8 trillion, and $650 billion was spent on servicing the national debt—funds all legally mandated. The remaining $1.7 trillion of discretionary spending includes $805 billion of defense spending, which lawmakers will be hesitant to reduce in any way. This political reality makes the $2 trillion in DOGE cuts a challenging goal.

Last week’s key meetings included an hour-long one-on-one between Musk and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), who will chair the Appropriations Committee in the next Congress. Musk and Ramaswamy met jointly with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who will head the Senate DOGE caucus, has already addressed the issue of teleworking and return-to-office requirements for federal workers. Ernst believes the move will incentivize a shift towards the private sector by workers not inclined to return to the office, thereby reducing the federal workforce. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) will lead the DOGE subcommittee in the House.