Half a century ago, when Ron Paul, the father of Senator Rand Paul, campaigned for Congress in Texas, a memorable billboard depicted an overweight Uncle Sam with the slogan “let’s put big government on a diet.”
Fast forward to today, and the federal government has ballooned even further. To seriously tackle this issue, President-elect Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead the new Department of Government Efficiency, dubbed DOGE.
These two will face a formidable challenge: a bureaucracy notoriously adept at shielding itself from reformers. Ronald Reagan once wittily observed, “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”
Winning this battle requires Musk and Ramaswamy to keep the public informed about each proposed cutback. One of their powerful tools could be satire, taking inspiration from the annual Pig Book by Citizens Against Government Waste, which exposes wasteful spending and unnecessary earmarks. Check it out at cagw.org to get a sense of the staggering waste of taxpayer money.
Consider this jaw-dropping example: “$120,500,000 for 150 earmarks funding the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operations Center Grant Program, an 84% increase from the previous year’s $65.5 million for 91 earmarks, and a 12.3% jump from $107.3 million for 92 earmarks just the year before.”
This revelation came even before the news broke that a FEMA employee (who was subsequently fired) had advised against assisting hurricane victims displaying Trump yard signs.
CAGW responded to FEMA’s spending spree by noting, “Since FY 2008, legislators have added 2,143 earmarks costing taxpayers $1.8 billion for emergency operations centers. Even though earmarks for such centers are frequently among the most common in appropriations bills, the program might be better replaced with competitive or merit-based awards, letting states prioritize crucial needs.”
DOGE should push to eliminate these earmarks and perhaps dismantle the Department of Education, which doesn’t directly educate anyone. If it did, we’d see significantly higher test scores and achievement levels, rather than so many high school graduates struggling with basic reading and math.
Reagan once attempted to get rid of the DOE but met resistance in Congress. With Republicans now controlling the government, DOGE could have better luck if Congress prioritizes the public good over self-interest.
DOGE might propose a set percentage for across-the-board spending cuts. Does anyone truly believe the Department of Labor would suffer if it had to trim its budget by a mere 15%?
Every government agency or program operates under a charter or legislative authority. Leaders of these departments should be summoned before Congress to demonstrate how they meet their intended goals. If a private enterprise can perform their duties more cost-effectively, those agencies should be phased out. This is how most businesses operate, and government might do well to follow suit.
Economically speaking, the United States ranks tenth worldwide in obesity according to the Global Obesity Observatory. Yet, it tops the list in national debt with a staggering $36 trillion.
If we muster the resolve, we can indeed trim down big government. A glance at history reveals the fate of nations that overspent themselves into collapse.
Readers can reach out to Cal Thomas via email at [email protected]. For more insights, check out his latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” from HumanixBooks.
