Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s "Dept. of Gov’t Efficiency": A Parallel State in the Making?
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have made some bold promises about trimming the federal budget, proposing sweeping cuts to agencies like the Department of Education, FBI, and even the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Their vision, dubbed the "Department of Government Efficiency," aims to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget and significantly reduce the federal workforce. While this sounds appealing to budget hawks, there’s a major constitutional hurdle standing in their way.
Limits of Presidential Power
The U.S. Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the final say on the federal budget. Historically, Congress has been resistant to drastic cuts, particularly to popular social programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
As Mike Lofgren, a former Republican congressional aide and frequent Salon contributor, points out, the idea of widespread bureaucratic waste is largely a myth. "What are you going to cut out?" he asks. "The FDA’s food safety inspections? Well, I’m sure some of the big meat packers would like that, but you’d get a situation like Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle.’"
Furthermore, encouraging government employees to leave voluntarily, a tactic favored by Ramaswamy, could prove counterproductive. According to Ronald Sanders, a senior fellow at George Washington University, this approach would likely result in an exodus of valuable personnel, leaving agencies understaffed and inefficient.
The Impoundment Controversy
Despite these obstacles, Musk and Ramaswamy have a seemingly audacious plan: challenging the 1974 law that restricts the president’s ability to refuse spending approved by Congress, known as impoundment.
In the landmark 1975 case Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court ruled against President Nixon’s attempt to withhold funds allocated to New York City, stating that impoundment was an unconstitutional exercise of power. Such an attempt would ultimately result in a legal confrontation that could land before the Supreme Court once again.
A Parallel State?
The situation raises concerns about the potential for a "parallel state" where private entities like DOGE – Musk and Ramaswamy’s advisory board – exert undue influence over government functions.
"This becomes the thin end of the wedge in creating a parallel state," Lofgren warns. "We could see a situation where billionaires basically usurp the functions of government and end up running it as a sort of private corporation."
The creation of a parallel state raises significant questions about the future of our democracy. Do you think Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy pose a real threat to the separation of powers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.