On November 12, President-elect Donald Trump appointed tech billionaire Elon Musk and activist Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, fulfilling a campaign pledge to give Musk broad oversight over government spending.
Mr Trump said the newly created agency, co-led by Elon Musk, would help “eliminate government bureaucracy” and cut excessive regulations.
The acronym stands for The Order of Efficient Government (abbreviated as DOGE), a reference to a popular internet meme and cryptocurrency associated with billionaire Elon Musk.
The Commission on Effective Government will exist "outside of government," making recommendations to White House staff on how to reform federal agencies, according to Donald Trump.
NBC News said the arrangement also allows billionaire Elon Musk and activist Vivek Ramaswamy to continue working in the private sector and serve on the new committee without needing Senate confirmation.
Mr. Trump gave the Commission on Effective Government until July 4, 2026 to complete its work.
Elon Musk has long pushed for an efficient government agency and has been promoting it ever since. Last month, the American tech billionaire outlined a goal of reducing government spending by $2 trillion. In fact, experts say that cost-cutting could lead to deregulation and policy changes that directly impact Elon Musk’s companies, especially Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Neuralink.
Ramaswamy, meanwhile, is a wealthy biotech entrepreneur who told ABC earlier this week that he was having “very powerful conversations” about possible roles in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet. He has no government experience but has pushed for cost-cutting in the corporate sector. After buying a stake in online media company Buzzfeed, he called on the company to cut staff and hire conservative media personalities like Tucker Carlson.
