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GOP Senator Gives Musk and Ramaswamy a 'Head Start' on Cutting Trillions in Government Spending

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Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said it’s been a lonely fight for the past several years to cut the federal government’s wasteful spending, but she feels the tables are turning now with the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Ernst specifically pointed to Trump’s announced Department of Government Efficiency, which will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The senator posted Monday on X that she’s providing the two businessmen “with a blueprint to eliminate trillions in waste.”

Musk has said he believes $2 trillion can be trimmed from annual federal spending, which ran $6.2 trillion in fiscal year 2023, up from $4.4 trillion in FY 2019 during Trump’s first administration before the pandemic.

During FY 2024, which ended Sept. 30, federal spending rose to $6.75 trillion, with a total revenue of $4.92 trillion, for a deficit of $1.83 trillion.

Are you hoping for huge government spending cuts in the Trump administration?

Musk explained while campaigning for Trump this fall that the massive deficits year after year are a primary cause of inflation, because the Treasury Department borrows and the Federal Reserve prints more money to help fund the government.

In a Monday letter to Musk and Ramaswamy, Ernst wrote, “Thank you for stepping up to take on the challenge of saving taxpayers from Washington’s out-of-control spending that put our nation $36 trillion in debt. Your mission could not be more urgent, and there’s no team better suited to lead the effort.”

“… While you’re seeking ‘super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries’ for ‘unglamorous costcutting,’ all that’s really needed is a little common sense. If you can’t find waste in Washington, there can only be one reason: you didn’t look,” she added.

“To give you a head start, here are a trillion dollars’ worth of ideas for trimming the fat and reducing red ink,” Ernst wrote.

First on her list were vacant and underutilized federal buildings. “Maintaining and leasing government office buildings costs $8 billion every year. Another $7.7 billion is spent for the energy to keep them running,” she wrote. The senator recommended consolidating and auctioning off the rest.

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Ernst also pointed to billions being spent on new programs passed during the Biden administration, particularly the $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations, with only 17 built to date.

The Army veteran further argued that the Defense Department is full of waste and has not passed an audit in years. Ernst contended the Pentagon squanders $125 billion per year in maintaining a bloated bureaucracy.

She said she would slash the federal workforce overall, saying many are paid to do nothing. Ernst believes there is $200 billion to be saved per year in streamlining how the government does its job.

The senator would also cut U.S. payments to maintain the United Nations, which runs $15 billion per year.

There is $10 billion to be saved per year in removing people from the rolls who are not eligible for entitlement payments like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Those are just some of Ernst’s recommendations to Musk and Ramaswamy.

On Tuesday, the senator told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, “There is a lot of low-hanging fruit.”

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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