Trump's financial plan proposes reduced budgets for specific departments, accompanied by an increase in military spending.
Host:Steve Inskeep, here. President Trump's proposed budget for the upcoming year includes significant cuts to several federal agencies, while boosting spending for defense and homeland security. Curiously, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – led by Elon Musk – claims to have saved $165 billion in federal spending this year. But does this supposed savings somehow link to the president's budget proposal?
Stephen Fowler:Morning, Steve. Well, on the surface, yes, but not at the core. DOGE's savings claims fall in line with the President's non-defense spending cuts, but their bookkeeping methods have been questionable, with shady math and a lack of transparency in their accounting[2]. Elon Musk himself has repeatedly revised down the amount of savings he attributes to DOGE, from $2 trillion to about $160 billion[1].
Host:So, is this smaller savings figure reflected in the budget the president is sending to Congress?
Stephen Fowler:While Musk's claims might be overstated and have been scaled back, Trump's budget proposes deeper cuts in some federal agencies compared to any previous budget.
Host:It seems that a lot of DOGE's savings are an illusion. However, some agencies have certainly been targeted for cuts, as Elon Musk put it. Are any of these cuts visible in the proposed budget?
Stephen Fowler:The initial budget blueprint does not detail many of DOGE-led changes, like reductions in workforce. However, some high-profile actions, including the possible dismantling of USAID and a significant trimming down of the Education Department, are included in this proposal. Though, it's important to note that this budget document shows DOGE is more of a conceptual framework than a precise vehicle for specific line-items in the federal budget[3].
Host:So, who is responsible for implementing the more specific and substantive changes?
Stephen Fowler:President Trump's budget director, Russell Vought. Many of the major discretionary funding changes echo suggestions that Vought made in a 2023 budget proposal at his think-tank, the Center for Renewing America[3]. These include targeting agencies like the National Science Foundation and the FBI, as well as shutting down USAID, which appeared in Vought's earlier plan[3].
- Steve Inskeep mentioned President Trump's proposed budget for the upcoming year, which includes significant cuts to several federal agencies and boosts for defense and homeland security.
- Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed to have saved $165 billion in federal spending this year, but this figure has been revised down to about $160 billion.
- Musk's claimed savings are reflected in President Trump's budget proposal, suggesting a connection between the two.
- However, DOGE's bookkeeping methods have been questionable, with concerns about shady math and a lack of transparency in their accounting.
- The initial budget blueprint does not detail many of DOGE-led changes, such as reductions in workforce, but it does include high-profile actions like the possible dismantling of USAID and a significant trimming down of the Education Department.
- President Trump's budget director, Russell Vought, is responsible for implementing the more specific and substantive changes, as many of the major discretionary funding changes echo suggestions that he made in his 2023 budget proposal.
