DOGE Suggestions

The new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has a Goal of $ 2 Trillion reduction in Federal Spending.

In Fiscal Year 2024, ended in September, the Government spent $6.8 Trillion.

The Deficit was $ 1.8 Trillion which was added to the National Debt, now over $36 Trillion.

The DOGE Goal would wipe out Deficit Spending. 

This initiative is long past due.

How can this impressive Goal be accomplished ?

Cogport submits these Four Major Initiatives to meet the Goal:

• Reorganization of the structure of Federal Government – Consolidate functions and eliminate overlap and duplication.  Reduce management layers and unnecessary positions.

• Elimination of Departments and budget that do not conform to the original Constitutional Intent of Limited Federal Government and Power to the People of the States.

• Use of AI technology and software to increase efficiency.

• Reform the future of Social Security and Medicare with funded programs.  (Preserve benefits for participants that have already paid in.)

Cogport will focus first on Reorganization and Elimination of Departments.

Here is the Background:

Growth in Federal Government can be summarized by these Organizational Facts on Direct Reports to the President:

George Washington          4  (includes Postmaster General)

Abraham Lincoln               7

Ronald Reagan                  13

Joe Biden                             25  Plus 5 Key Advisors

The current 30 direct Department and Advisors have an estimate of over 400 Agencies reporting to them.  You can try to research it, but Cogport could not find an exact count of the number of Agencies.  Not even the Federal Government Seems to know.

For those who like to delve into the details, an Addendum is provided at the end of this post showing a breakdown of individual Departments with Annual Spending and Total Employment.

REORGANIZATION OPPORTUNITY

The span of organization reporting direct to the President is so unwieldy, it is difficult to comprehend other than it is highly ineffective.

Cogport will focus first on Reengineering of the Government Establishment.  This will include consolidation and elimination of Departments.  The number of Direct Reports to the President will be reduced to Twelve versus the current of Twenty Five.

Here are the Twelve Proposed Departments:

Chief of Staff

Congressional Relations, Legislation, and Budget

Defense

Treasury

State

Interior

Commerce

Justice

Law Enforcement

Security

Health and Benefits

Science and Technology

SUMMARY

The Goal of $ 2 Trillion in reduction of the Federal Budget presents huge challenges that will require Public and Congressional support.

Cogport will continue with future posts that detail the potential savings from the Four Major Initiatives proposed above.

David Hollaender                                                                  December 10, 2024

Cogport.com

Addendum showing the current  Federal organization.

Department	Total Employment	Total Budget (FY2023)         ($ Billion)	Agencies
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)	88,509	879.2	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, etc.
Department of Defense (DoD)	2,870,000	857.9	Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, etc.
Department of Labor	14,062	138.0	Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Employment and Training Administration, etc.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)	84,496	134.1	Agricultural Marketing Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Farm Service Agency, etc.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)	427,172	97.7	Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, National Cemetery Administration, etc.
Department of the Interior	56,718	90.0	Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, etc.
Department of Transportation (DOT)	53,037	73.2	Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, etc.
Department of State	13,000	58.6	Bureau of Consular Affairs, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Mission to the United Nations, etc.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)	240,000	51.6	Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, etc.
Department of Justice (DOJ)	115,897	46.2	Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Prisons, etc.
Department of Education	4,178	45.4	Office for Civil Rights, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, etc.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)	8,081	40.5	Office of Community Planning and Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, etc.
Department of Energy	13,000	32.5	Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, etc.
Department of the Treasury	100,000	16.4	Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Mint, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, etc.
Department of Commerce	46,608	11.8	Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, etc.
Agency/Office	Employees	Budget 2023	Description
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)	Classified	Classified	Oversees the U.S. intelligence community; specific figures are classified.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)	Classified	14.7	Engages in foreign intelligence and counterintelligence activities; specific figures are classified.  Budget Estimated.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)	17,960	25.2	Responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aeronautics research.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	14,581	9.6	Focuses on environmental protection and regulation.
Small Business Administration (SBA)	3,293	0.8	Provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Executive Office of the President (EOP)	1800	0.7	Includes the White House Office, National Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, etc.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)	2,500	0.3	Manages the federal civilian workforce.
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)	200	0.1	Develops and coordinates U.S. international trade policy.
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)	45	0.1	Advises the President on scientific and technological issues.
Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)	35	0.0	Provides the President with economic analysis and advice.
TOTAL	4,175,172	2,624.6

                                                     ($ 2.62 Trillion)