Opinion: Actual savings from Musk's DOGE unit may be far less than $10 billion

Odaily Planet Daily News Yesterday, Musk posted on X, "As my time as a special government employee is coming to an end, I want to thank President Trump for giving me this opportunity to cut wasteful spending. The mission of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will only strengthen over time because it will become a way of life for the entire government." Analysis points out that advisory committees such as DOGE have no power to cut federal spending, close agencies or cancel contracts. Their recommendations must be implemented by the president or appointed officials, and most cost-cutting measures require congressional legislation. This means that Trump should have promoted legislation to legalize DOGE reforms, but he did not do so. The budget recently passed by the House of Representatives only approved $9.3 billion in agency cuts, less than 5% of Musk's initial $2 trillion annual cost-cutting target. "DOGE is a big deal," said Jessica Riedl, a budget analyst at the Manhattan Institute. "The actual cost-cutting may be far less than $10 billion." Political reality has exposed the essence of DOGE. This may be just a superficial cost-cutting show, and the "stubborn disease" of the federal budget has not been moved at all. Members of Congress have a firm grip on the various agencies of the executive branch, and even Republicans are reluctant to let "vigilantes" like Musk interfere with their territory. (Jin Shi)