Changes in payment systems, worker restrictions and foreign aid
Elon Musk, senior advisor to president Trump. Here’s what he’s done so far.
Elon Musk has led the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, to implement layoffs and restructuring within federal agencies in order to improve efficiency and reduce expenditures. Also under Musk’s guidance, DOGE proposed reducing the number of federal agencies from 400 to fewer than 100. This plan included eliminating agencies like the Department of Education and Centers of Medicaid and Medicare services.
Implementations of Federal Hiring Restrictions
A hiring freeze was enforced, limiting the ability of agencies to fill positions unless deemed critical. This aimed to reduce government spending and increase efficiency, but it faced criticism for potentially straining essential services and hindering the recruitment of skilled workers in vital positions.
Zoe Pence ‘25 said, “I do not think that the federal hiring freeze will benefit the U.S, because just by reducing government spending, what are we spending instead? If it was going to the national debt, I would understand, but it’s not. And we’re also firing people that should not be fired, like nuclear safety workers. Then Trump was like, ‘Oh wait we actually need them,’ So I think they’re not actually looking at who they’re firing and really looking into the cost and benefits of it. They’re just trying to make more of an oligarchy stance while just having the billionaires in power and actually caring about government in the U.S. and seeing what actually needs to be cut and what it needs to be spent on instead.”
Gabriel Spencer ‘25 said, “I know Elon Musk is the owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and obviously now he’s part of our government. I know that he’s made major cuts in our government structure with employment and stuff. Honestly, I feel like he overdid it a little bit, but I think it was kind of needed. I feel like there are a lot of people that do a lot of nothing in our government. So I think it’s good they’re going through it, they might be a little too fast with it. I think that’s my stance on that.”
Access to Treasury Payment Systems
DOGE gained access to the U.S. Treasury payment systems, originally with read-only access to payment data. Reports from audits done by The Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General later indicated that DOGE’s access extended past the read-only agreement, raising concerns about possible disruptions to important programs like Social Security and Medicare. The Treasury department clarified that DOGE’s access was limited and along with that, they wouldn’t be able to interfere with payment processes.
Suspension of Foreign Aid Programs
Musk’s role in DOGE influenced the suspension of several foreign aid programs. His efforts to streamline government spending lead to a review and temporary halt of certain international aid initiatives, citing inefficiencies and financial concerns. This sparked debate over the potential humanitarian impacts, with critics arguing that it could hinder global development and U.S. diplomatic impacts.
Under Musk’s guidance there were efforts to improve efficiency and update the method used to calculate gross domestic product (GDP), focusing on efficiency and modernization. While people in favor of this argued it could improve accuracy and relevance, critics raised concerns about potential distortions and limitations in capturing broader economic conditions, particularly in technological service based situations.
