Ramaswamy: Pulling Back “Administrative State” Priority of DOGE

by Sharon Rondeau

(Nov. 17, 2024) — In an interview on today’s “Sunday Morning Futures” hosted by Maria Bartiromo, former 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, tapped by President-Elect Donald Trump to co-chair the newly-launched “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), began by stating that those elected by the people to run the government are often overshadowed by the “administrative state” consisting of unelected, entrenched bureaucrats who impose “unconstitutional” regulations on the nation.

As most of the bureaucracy was born out of “executive action,” he said, the same method will be initially utilized to abolish it.

DOGE is seeking “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting,” its “X” account states. “If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”

Prior to Trump’s win in the November 5 election, he announced entrepreneur and multi-billionaire Elon Musk to lead DOGE, which Musk enthusiastically embraced and said on “X” he would carry out without pay.

On November 12 Trump announced Ramaswamy as Musk’s DOGE co-leader. Their goal, Trump said, will be to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

After DOGE officially launches and begins achieving its mission through executive action, Congress can “take meaningful steps” to codify the changes into federal law, Ramaswamy told Bartiromo.

Unlike other government agencies and departments, he said, “We don’t want this one to last.”

“Are you going to be closing down departments?” Bartiromo asked.

“We expect mass reductions” and “massive cuts of federal contractors who are overbilling the government,” Ramaswamy replied without specifying. The federal government employs “four million” people, an unnecessarily bloated number, he said.

At 10:18 a.m. EST, Bartiromo asked if bureaucrats can be fired as a result of increased entrenchment over the Biden years. “The key is to move quickly” and effect “deregulation,” he responded, in order to reduce bloated departments, agencies and the “administrative state.”

“Most people don’t even show up to work,” he commented.

Agencies could be moved out of Washington, DC or “downsized,” he continued. “Most of them are good people…but the real issue is there is just too many of them [sic].”

“Which agency is the most bloated?” Bartiromo asked, to which Ramaswamy responded in vague terms. “It’s as much about efficiency as it is about restoring accountability,” he said.

“What a year and a half it’s been for you,” Bartiromo remarked, referring to his primary presidential run which he suspended after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses in January. “What a journey it’s been,” he agreed.

“This great nation is lucky to have you,” she replied, concluding the interview.