Hardly a day goes by without continuous updates from Washington DC on plans of and actions by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as DOGE.
President Trump created DOGE with an executive order on the first day of his second term, affirming it is a key element of his second term agenda. Elon Musk is heading DOGE as a Special Government Employee.
Strong resistance to DOGE started immediately and has not slowed since then. A lawsuit challenging the legality and authority of was filed the same day DOGE was created. Since then, numerous lawsuits have been filed, including those charging DOGE’s efforts to access federal agency data violate federal privacy laws.
As of now, questions on how many and exactly how the U.S. Supreme Court will address these lawsuits is anyone’s guess.
One question not receiving much attention is the history of and possible lessons learned from past efforts on improving government efficiency and reducing government spending.
The first such effort occurred in 1947 when Congress created the Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government, commonly referred to as the Hoover Commission, as former President Herbert Hoover chaired it.
In 1953, Congress approved the Second Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government also commonly referred to as a Hoover Commission, as former President Hoover chaired it.
In 1982, former President Reagan created The President’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, commonly referred to as the Grace Commission, as it was chaired by corporate executive J. Peter Grace, who was an industrialist and CEO of W.R. Grace and Company, a diversified chemical company.
In 1993, former President Clinton launched the National Performance Review (NPR), also commonly referred to as Reinventing Government. Leading it was former Vice President Gore.
Former President Obama established three groups. They were the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform whose co-chairs were former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, the Domenici-Rivlin Debt Reduction Task Force, chaired by former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici and Alice Rivlin, former director of the Office of management and Budget and former Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair. The third group, Campaign to Cut Waste, was a large group of Obama administration officials with the stated goal of “hunting down and eliminating misspent tax dollars in every agency and department across the Federal Government.”
In a recent article on President Trump’s DOGE initiative, John Kamensky, Emeritus Senior Fellow at the IBM Center for The Business of Government, and Mark Abramson, President at Leadership Inc. suggest the following key elements are important for success in federal government spending change efforts:
“Making government work better can gain significant support in Congress as was seen in the first Hoover Commission and the Reinventing Government initiatives. When recommendations need congressional approval, being fast can make a difference. When a reform initiative spans the life of more than one Congress – and there is a chance that either house may flip to the opposing party – then bolder recommendations can be jeopardized. Moving fast also allows more time to focus on implementation. This was a strength of the Reinventing Government initiative.
Reform efforts that try to make government cheaper, such as by eliminating programs or reducing headcount, necessarily involve Congress. Such an emphasis was a stumbling block for the Second Hoover Commission and the Grace Commission. Including career civil servants in the work of a reform initiative can increase the success of the “improving program” initiatives since they can gain “buy-in” from the civil service. In contrast, the ‘eliminating programs’ approach has been predominately staffed by individuals outside of government, and civil service ‘buy-in’ was not sought.”
Kamensky and Mark Abramson conclude with writing, “At the time of this writing, DOGE has not been operating like any of these past reform efforts, where the need for change is assessed, and recommendations are made for the President and Congress to act upon.”
I suggest there is a crucial omission from their observations on the underlying rationale on President Trump’s decisions to move quickly and aggressively on the DOGE agenda. Those decisions include bypassing Congress for input on and approval of DOGE goals and operations.
I suggest Trump’s thinking reflects a sense of urgency on addressing the steadily increasing national debt. In 2000, that debt was $5.659 trillion, approximately fifty-six percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2010, the national was $13.562 trillion, approximately ninety-three per cent of GDP. It is projected to reach $37 trillion in June of this year.
Despite current and yet to be filed court challenges to DOGE, it remains to be seen what the final decisions will be on those court challenges, especially any rulings handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
I suggest any mandates on congressional involvement on DOGE plans and actions may not be relevant going forward, even if the courts rule that a president cannot implement DOGE activities without some levels of congressional input and/or approval.
The current Republican majorities in Congress have been relatively uninvolved in any efforts to slow down or stop DOGE plans and actions.
If court rulings do limit the scope and authority of DOGE, I suggest Congressional Republicans will move to approve whatever is deemed legally necessary to allow DOGE plans and actions to continue.
As always, that could change based on the results of the 2026 midterm election cycle, which is already underway.
I further suggest, if Republicans retain control of Congress in the 2026 mid-term elections, they will be even more inclined to approve future DOGE plans and actions at least through the end of Trump’s second term.
If the Democrats regain control of the House, the Senate or both, DOGE will be no more than a footnote in the history of Trump’s second term.
David Reel is a public affairs and public communications consultant in Easton.
Michael Pullen says
David Reel is a Republican political operative who makes a living promoting effective media strategies and messaging to elect Republican candidates.
The suggestion that what is happening to our federal government is an effort to reduce waste is a fiction. The writer adopts and spreads the fake pretense that the daily chaos coming from this administration is like earlier governmental efforts to reduce government waste.
No other American president has falsely claimed a presidential election was “stolen” even though that false claim was dismissed by 60 different judges virtually without exception. No other president has incited an insurrection. No other American president has called himself “king”.
What is happening is a coup, eliminating military leadership, firing independent inspectors general, attacking the media, eliminating agencies established by Congress, withholding funding Congress has already approved, aligning the United States with Vladimir Putin, attacking Ukraine and Europe, NATO, Canada and Mexico.
This is about power, seizing it, brandishing it, bullying and vengeance.
And, the goal: providing huge tax cuts to the wealthiest while cutting Medicaid, school lunches, health care reimbursement to rural hospitals, payment for elder care, veterans benefits, farming subsidies, and the list goes on.
This is not normal, although this article would have us believe it is.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Michael, thank you for your response.
There is something very sad when people try and explain the grift and cruelty happening in our nation that is also effecting the sick and poor internationally. It’s beyond comprehension,until we realize the greed for more is all consuming those in power now. So, apparently it is not enough to be a billionaire. One needs to
achieve “trillionaire” status….for what? Those souls who are expendable to these people are the poorest among us globally. Millions will die. Guaranteed. USAID was a gift that just expanded our
positive influence in a “soft powerful” way against those who could care less for people in need. Like Russia and China. But now, these nations will move in to control the narrative.
It also limited the effects of radicalization and anti-Americanism that leads to terrorism. Additionally,
USAID was a valuable “watch dog” for diseases that could decimate our nation. Think of Ebola and the new hemorrhage disease that is rampant in Africa.
All of this is utterly heartbreaking and avoidable.
Anyone, and I mean also those in Congress, who still spout the Trump/Putin garbage are in for
a real awakening. I get it that the GOP has always leaned “authoritarian”, it is that hierarchy thing. Now though, they are all hollow, lacking spine and that fabulous piece that makes a person
real: Character. It is because they are terrified of rejection/retribution.
That is appalling.
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Pullen: Yes, this bizarre twisting of our American values and morality goes beyond the grab for power. The underlying motives are abject greed and the establishment of a Russian-styled oligarchy. In fact, Trump has offered a Gold Card for foreign investors who will be able to obtain green card residential/working rights in the US in return for investing $5 millions in business. In this manner, Russian oligarchs can come to America, possibly purchase a multi-million dollar condominium from The Trump Organization as a tax shelter (or a money laundering racket), and manage a multi-million dollar racket and amass massive fortunes. To oligarchs, $5 millions is laughable pocket change.
instead of the US Government incentivising Americans, perhaps American veterans for example. Trump wants to import oligarchs. Of course! Trump/Musk plan to fire about 82,000 VA employees to cut costs. Obviously, the VA is overstaffed. Services are provided immediately as well all know. Either that or Trump is providing Americans prima facie evidence that he does indeed consider veterans to be, in his word, “suckers”.
Yet, Mr. Reel simply glosses over the reality of this money/power grab on many millions of Americans. That 95 courts have already ruled against Trump’s lawless disregard for protocol or methodical approaches to these cataclysmic impacts on the lives of many millions of Americans is contemptible. Does Mr. Reel appear to have any awareness of personnel management that he blithely overlooks in the employee evaluation process? Is Mr. Reel aware that thousands of government employees have had to be called back on emergency bases because crucial government staffs’ oversight and direction immediately created dangerous situations?
Its no problem for Mr. Reel that thousands of FBI employees are gone, their building closed and soon to be sold, so that it would take years to recreate its fundamental role in maintaining American security and critical prosecutions nationwide. The FBI had to go without delay. They supported the prosecution of Trump and his January 6th crimes. So, Trump’s revenge in to simply remove America’s #1 law enforcement bulwark against heinous crimes of all types. Somehow, Mr. Reel’s “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” sales job would have you believe Trump’s revolution against our democratic republic is perfectly reasonable.
No problem. Its OK to have a sociopathic narcissist surrounded by sychophants and flamethrowing radicals as President. Its OK that Trump turns his back on Zelenskyy, Ukraine, NATO and European democracies to support Putin. Extortion of a brave people in the face of a totalitarian dictator is perfectly reasonable when you ae the US and “holding all the cards”. Not a peep from Mr. Reel regarding this utter abandonment of our American traditions and values by Trump.
Unfortunately for America, Mr. Feel’s style of slick distortion passes for legitimate dialogue these days. After all, Mr. Reel still doesn’t acknowledge that Trump was legitimately charged by the Justice Department for January 6th, 2017 revolt against our legitimate 2020 election results. He Trump justly found guilty of 34 felonies in New York state. Mr. Reel easily nonchalants the pardons of hundreds of Trump’s own violent accomplices. Maybe Mr. Reel doesn’t quite understand how this is seriously undermining our entire American system of justice – all because this horrendous narcissist claims he’s innocent; and people like Mr. Reel fail to hold him accountable but rather provide him with this abased refuge of dismally failed logic.
The bottom line for us is that Trump is a clear and present danger to our US Constitution, or morality, our values and our national security, much less the stability of our governmental structure and delivery of services. We mustn’t lose sight of these mortal national dangers. And we mustn’t let Trump’s accomplices, whether willfully or absentmindedly, go unchallenged.
Sander Dowels says
DOGE and the current administration are resulting in weakening the US financially and certainly morally. Get ready Maryland, all of our costs are going up and services that we depend on will disappear. Who is going to fill the void internationally – China? Russia? Will our new neighbors on the Eastern Shore be Russian oligarchs – I had to deal with their theft and private armies in the past. I never thought returning to the US would mean I have to deal with them again. Farmers – tariffs are hurting us, the end of USDA programs are hurting us, the demise of USAID food programs is hurting us. So, US withdraws healthcare to babies and those with deadly infectious disease, hurts our farmers, disdains real heroes such as Zelensky, alienates allies and hands over the keys to the castle to billionaires. I hope my neighbors will stand up to this – let’s see if our Congressman has the guts to listen and act on our behalf. So, far it’s not looking good. Time for a replacement.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Comparing DOGE to previous attempts by governments to cut costs is a stretch. DOGE is a group headed by a chainsaw wielding billionaire who has unfettered access to governmental agencies, and operating without oversight. There is no rational plan of action or measureable goals, just a slash and burn approach that is more drama than substance. DOGE has already corrected substantial errors in overestimating its impact. But the big question is whether cost cutting by DOGE will make up for the roughly 3 trillion dollars in decreased revenue that will result from Trumps proposed tax cuts.