BILLINGTON Elon Musk's efficiency model to save $1 trillion from the federal budget

As promised in the 2024 Presidential campaign, President Trump appointed entrepreneur Elon Musk as a special government employee to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This is a crucial move to curb federal waste and restore fiscal discipline. The agency, tasked with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, aims to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget.

I strongly support Musk’s appointment — it’s a long-overdue shakeup of Washington’s bloated bureaucracy. As a staunch advocate for responsible spending, I’ve seen firsthand how the federal government has hemorrhaged taxpayer dollars on unnecessary programs. If anyone has the vision to end this reckless spending, it’s Elon Musk.

Since DOGE’s formation, shocking examples of government waste have come to light, including:

• $69 million for the Eurasia Foundation to do “digital transformation activity” in Europe

• $32 million to Internews for programs like promoting “sustainable media outlets” in Moldova

• $520 million for a consultant to push ESG investments in Africa

• $45 million to “address the needs of activists and other civic actors” engaged in nonviolent collective action

Musk hasn’t wasted any time implementing cost-cutting measures. “We’re applying first-principles thinking to the federal budget,” Musk said. “If a program isn’t producing measurable results for Americans, it has to go.”

I’ve long believed that the federal budget should be scrutinized the same way a household budget is. If hardworking Missourians have to balance their checkbooks, why shouldn’t the government? We simply cannot afford to keep throwing taxpayer dollars at useless projects while our national debt skyrockets.

Gov. Kehoe of Missouri strongly supports the president’s actions and has taken significant steps at the state level to mirror these efforts. He established the Missouri House and Missouri Senate Government Efficiency Committees, which are dedicated to rooting out waste and improving fiscal accountability in state government. The committees are chaired by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Rep. Ben Baker, both of whom are committed to ensuring that taxpayer money is spent wisely. Rep. Baker, a close friend of mine, has been an invaluable ally in this effort. Additionally, the Missouri Senate has created a Government Efficiency Portal, providing the public with a platform to report instances of government waste, fraud and abuse. This initiative empowers Missourians to play a direct role in holding the government accountable and ensuring more efficient use of state resources.

As DOGE continues its audits, I expect more revelations. I urge Congress to support Musk’s efforts through legislative measures that cut unnecessary programs and hold agencies accountable.

Musk’s leadership at DOGE has already led to recommendations for major reforms, such as restructuring federal procurement processes, consolidating redundant agencies, and increasing transparency in budget reporting. By utilizing private-sector efficiency models, Musk believes the government can drastically reduce spending while improving services for Americans.

Fiscal conservatives in Congress have already introduced legislation to fast-track these proposed reforms, ensuring that wasteful programs are permanently eliminated rather than merely reduced temporarily. I agree with this approach and believe we must put real safeguards in place so that future administrations can’t undo this work.

Critics argue that slashing budgets too aggressively could lead to job losses in government sectors. But I firmly believe reducing inefficiency will ultimately benefit the economy by lowering taxes and ensuring public funds are spent wisely. We’re not trying to cut essential services — we’re trying to cut the dead weight. Missouri families don’t get to waste money with no accountability, and neither should Washington.

With Musk leading DOGE and strong voices like mine in the Missouri House, the push to eliminate wasteful spending is gaining momentum. The real question now is whether Washington’s entrenched bureaucracy will allow meaningful reforms—or continue business as usual at the taxpayer’s expense.

May God bless and keep you and our great nation.

Hardy Billington represents District 152, which includes Butler County.