Summary
Vivek Ramaswamy, recently appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has proposed defunding federal programs that lack current congressional authorization.
This could affect programs like veterans’ healthcare, NASA, and early education initiatives, which still receive funding despite expired authorizations.
Ramaswamy argues that cutting these programs could save billions, and he’s committed to targeting expenditures that “don’t advance the interests of American citizens.”
DOGE, co-led by Elon Musk, aims to curb government spending, with Musk estimating potential cuts of up to $2 trillion.
Do it. Cut tricare too. I don’t want those things gone, but holy hell yes please eliminate the willingness of the military to aid you against the constitution. Defund barrack improvements and force married troops to bring their spouses into the barracks while you’re at it.
Crash and burn and let us rebuild America with an understanding it wasn’t immigrants or trans people that did this, it was rich people and fascists.
As a US citizen, paying for veterans healthcare and early education programs advance my interests a whole fucking lot more than paying this jackass.
Stupid piece of shit, you don’t speak for us.
I know what you mean but he does, quite literally, speak for us now. This is what we asked for.
I sure as fuck didn’t, I voted against every single fascist asshole on my balot. I’m just angry.
Right there with you
So did I but unfortunately we lost. That’s democracy in action. The country we live in (the collective we) asked for this.
In like a 3rd party way or an actual way?
Elon musk being like “all that money we’re spending on vets could be going into my pockets.”
The status quo is just a lot more visible, now.
Remember when if you didn’t “support our troops,” Republicans would ask you why you hated America?
The good old days when it was republicans who were “if you’re not with us I will enjoy watching you die”
This is amazing. Good. Fuck the troops. Let’s see you garrison your military bases in every other country in the world, losers. You can’t even meet recruiting goals now!
America: Our soldiers are heroes!
Also America: But they don’t deserve a penny and should pay exorbitant prices for healthcare…
I know this isn’t all Americans, but it’s more than I thought.
Save billions on essentials while spending trillions in bullshit.
“This bloated liberal socialist program is inefficient and doesn’t work. Because it’s liberal and socialist. So we’re going to get rid of it. We’re planing to plan a replacement plan, but we haven’t planned on when to plan it. But we’ll blame the libs for that too, even though we have essentially captured all branches of the government at this point.”
They’ve learned their lesson from 4 years of failure to repeal and replace Obamacare. “Replacing was hard and expensive and anything that addresses people’s concerns or doesn’t ensure failure to re-elect was to the left of this, so we’ve decided to just repeal and not replace. Get over it loser.”
Part of me, as an outsider looking in with abject horror, wants to see this happen just because I still hold out hope that it might finally wake up a not-insignificant part of rural and rust-belt America that live off these benefits (or ‘handouts’ according to the GOP) out of their political stupor.
But on the other hand, I know that once it’s gone, it’s very unlikely to be brought back in the immediate future by the current crop of Dems, who seemingly would rather keep dangling it as a carrot (along with restoring ablation access) in order to entice voter turnout.
If it’s gone it’s gone. Those people in rural America who live off handouts and vote R can live with the long term consequences. The only way you will see a change is if they are no longer insulated from the consequences of their actions. Fox
NewsPropaganda is going to be spinning itself in circles to justify why their “gubment program” was ended under Trump.Perhaps they will vote blue in the future and we will have enough of a majority that more liberal policies can be enacted.
Shameless, veterans risk their lives for their country, the least the govt can do is give them healthcare
Unfortunately for veterans, they aren’t risking their lives for their country. They’re risking their lives for the special interests of corporate oligarchs who couldn’t care less about them.
I know but that’s a hard sell for poor young recruits, if they knew this more they’d charge like mercenaries
How is veteran healthcare unauthorized?
It was authorized, but it had an expiration date. Now it’s something that we just take for granted so much we never even thought about having to re-authorize it.
OIC. Well snowballs chance when orange twit assumes the throne
The clown is inviting more clowns and they are building up the circus, this could be funny if it wasn’t so serious.
they just want Russia to be the top superpower
I expected NASA to get screwed by DOGE. What I didn’t expect was that it’s at the behest of Ramaswamy instead of Elmo. 2024 is defying expectations yet again.
Specifically about veterans’ healthcare: Veterans surveyed supported Trump 61% to 37% Harris with 2% undecided. And it’s not like the plan to screw up VA benefits was hidden, it was there in Project 2025.
