Joni Ernst Takes On Government During First DOGE Senate Meeting With Musk, Ramaswamy
TownhallDEC 2024
Musk, Ramaswamy Discuss DOGE on Capitol Hill
Above: Elon Musk arrives on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024. Image copyright: Al Drago/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
This is an exciting time to be a fiscal conservative or an advocate for small government because DOGE will bring a new era of efficiency for the US government. As explained in these meetings, DOGE has already identified numerous sources of waste that must be eliminated and there are many ways billions of dollars can be cut to make the government work better for its citizens.
Democratic narrative
In many ways, DOGE is already dead. Musk and Ramaswamy have no government or political experience, so they're probably unaware that much federal spending is mandatory, and other spending is politically sensitive. There are definitely ways — many already suggested by the government's accountability office — to cut waste, but the suggested massive cuts are no way to serve the people.