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Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

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Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The executive requests the budget. Congress approves it. The key thing here is the "Due Care Clause." The administration is required to implement our laws with "due care." If there's a law on the books the administration is required to enforce it. The means and expected effectiveness of that enforcement are often not specified.

The House creates the budget, the Senate votes on it, and the president then signs it into law. Usually, the executive branch will come up with a dream budget that can be considered their starting position in budget negotiations.

As President, Trump paid no price for shutting down the government because the budget was too small/didn’t include some inefficient spending he said Mexico would pay for. His next will be his fourth shutdown.

Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#72

The “Department of Government Efficiency” isn’t a real government office and as such has no actual power. Musk and Ramaswamy won’t be able to do anything, and the budget is controlled by congress, not the executive.

Congress will pass anything trump sends their way. Republicans cant go against trump theyll get primaried.

You don’t go against Trump: you infight against someone in government who can’t defend their inefficiency. An Alaskan Senator secures $4m earmark for a small town. Why can’t she support Donald Trump’s vision and the futuristic leadership of the DOGE?

Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#73

I gotta say I appreciate the enthusiasm of this venture. It’s great to be excited about more efficiency. But I’m really anxious about whether it will be done without screwing over poor people, raising technical debt, or sacrificing long term infrastructure.

I don’t think any of the major players involved have any reason not to do those things is the issue.

Right, the incentives are to make all such initiatives creditable back to Trump, while positioning the DOGE as too big to fail.

Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#74

Great article! I fear this will be the country's rude awakening to Chesterton's Fence. The GAO recommendations list is a really great thing to point these DOGE people to. We have literally no reason to assume they're equipped to do this. Edit: It's apparent most people commenting haven't actually read TFA. You should!

Thanks for mentioning Chesterton's Fence. This is the only shred of conservatism left: that rapid change in society historically is a net negative.

Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#75

Repeat after me - a Presidential Task Force like DOGE is NOT a department. You can slap lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. Same with presidential task forces. A Department with actual staffing, budget, personnel, and legal authority can only be created by Congress. Presidential task forces can only give non-binding advice to a President.

Trump can and will do those things, and argue absolute immunity if he’s even challenged.

Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More regulation does not stop fraud. There’s so many levers already they were to pull them. It’s an enforcement problem. Re-fund the police.

Which is... the exact opposite of what Republicans have proposed. They go after the GAO's budget every chance they get.

Not only that, we’re entering an administration that will vehemently denounce any whistleblowers. You need a premium X account to apply at DOGE. And whistleblowers will be advised to take their material through X to DOGE, where that material will die, rather than train any pattern recognition.
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