Elon Musk calls for elimination of U.S. Government agencies to cut costs and boost efficiency
Shreeaa Rathi | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Feb 13, 2025, 23:11 IST
Elon Musk, speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, discussed eliminating U.S. government agencies to reduce bureaucracy and cut costs. His plans, aiming to reduce the federal deficit, include dissolving USAID and integrating it into the State Department. Musk's efforts align with his disruptive innovation philosophy and are reshaping conversations on government efficiency.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again sparked controversy by advocating for the complete elimination of certain U.S. government agencies as part of a broader cost-cutting and efficiency initiative. Speaking via video link at Dubai’s annual World Governments Summit, Musk emphasized that merely scaling back bureaucracy is insufficient, likening it to trimming weeds without removing their roots.
“I think we do need to delete entire agencies, as opposed to leaving part of them behind. It’s kind of like leaving a weed,” Musk remarked. “If you don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”
Musk’s comments come in the wake of his recent appointment as a “special government employee” under former President Donald Trump’s administration. He also leads a newly formed advisory body called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a move that underscores his commitment to streamlining government operations. The South African-born entrepreneur believes these efforts could reduce the federal deficit by as much as $1 trillion by 2026.
His remarks have drawn attention to the fate of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been significantly impacted by his cost-cutting measures. The agency, responsible for global humanitarian and development aid, has seen its workforce drastically reduced and its funding frozen, a shift that is already affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly in impoverished nations.
In early February, the Trump administration announced plans to dissolve USAID as an independent agency and integrate its functions into the State Department, a restructuring that still requires congressional approval. Musk’s vision suggests that such consolidations could be just the beginning of a larger governmental overhaul.
Musk acknowledged that bureaucracy is bound to expand under future administrations but maintained that his proposed cuts would establish a much leaner baseline, making it more challenging for excessive bureaucracy to resurface. “Nothing’s forever,” he noted, “but I think we can strengthen the foundations of the United States substantially.”
His views on government efficiency align with his broader philosophy of disruptive innovation, which has defined his leadership at Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X. However, his aggressive approach to reducing government spending has sparked debate over the long-term impact on essential services and international aid.
As discussions continue, the extent of Musk’s influence on federal restructuring remains uncertain. Yet, his involvement in the government’s efficiency drive is already reshaping conversations about bureaucracy, fiscal responsibility, and the role of private-sector leaders in public governance.