GOP Senator Offers Musk and Ramaswamy a 'Blueprint' for Slashing Trillions in Government Spending

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, has long advocated for cutting wasteful federal spending. While her efforts have often felt solitary, she believes the momentum is shifting, especially with the incoming Trump administration.

Ernst highlighted former President Donald Trump’s plan to establish a Department of Government Efficiency, to be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Taking to X on Monday, Ernst announced she is equipping the two business leaders "with a blueprint to eliminate trillions in waste."

Musk has previously claimed that federal spending could be reduced by $2 trillion annually. Federal expenditures climbed from $4.4 trillion in fiscal year 2019 under Trump’s first term to $6.2 trillion in FY 2023. The most recent fiscal year, FY 2024, ended with $6.75 trillion in spending and a deficit of $1.83 trillion, despite $4.92 trillion in revenue.

While campaigning for Trump this year, Musk pointed to consistent budget deficits as a key driver of inflation, attributing the problem to Treasury borrowing and Federal Reserve money printing to fund government operations.

In a letter addressed to Musk and Ramaswamy, Ernst praised their willingness to confront the debt crisis, writing:

“Thank you for stepping up to take on the challenge of saving taxpayers from Washington’s out-of-control spending that put our nation $36 trillion in debt. Your mission could not be more urgent, and there’s no team better suited to lead the effort.”

She added:

“… While you’re seeking ‘super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries’ for ‘unglamorous costcutting,’ all that’s really needed is a little common sense. If you can’t find waste in Washington, there can only be one reason: you didn’t look.”

To help them get started, Ernst provided a list of recommendations totaling over $1 trillion in potential savings.

Cutting Federal Waste

First, Ernst identified vacant and underused government properties, which cost $8 billion annually for maintenance and leasing, with an additional $7.7 billion spent on energy. She proposed consolidating operations and auctioning off excess properties.

She also criticized spending from Biden-era initiatives, such as the $7.5 billion allocated to build a nationwide electric vehicle charging network, noting that only 17 chargers have been installed so far.

As a military veteran, Ernst took aim at the Defense Department for failing audits and maintaining what she described as a bloated bureaucracy. According to her, the Pentagon wastes $125 billion annually.

She further proposed reducing the federal workforce, suggesting that streamlining operations could save $200 billion per year.

Additionally, Ernst advocated cutting the $15 billion the U.S. spends annually to support the United Nations. She also called for eliminating $10 billion annually in improper entitlement payments to individuals no longer eligible for programs like SNAP.

These are just some of the measures Ernst suggested to Musk and Ramaswamy.

"Low-Hanging Fruit"

Speaking to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Tuesday, Ernst emphasized the abundance of opportunities to reduce government spending, saying, “There is a lot of low-hanging fruit.”