UNDER RAMASWAMY AND MUSK'S PLAN TO REDUCE SPENDING, VA MEDICAL SERVICES MAY BE CUT
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are joining the Trump administration to help defund government programs. While saving money and fiscal responsibility is important, it’s also important to understand the grand scope of how and why these programs are funded. Now, Veteran and military-related programs are at risk, including a bill that provides billions upon billions of dollars towards healthcare for Vets.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Lead a Department Named After a Meme to Cut Costs
President-elect Donald Trump wants to help the government cut costs and has chosen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to help lead the cause, through the new Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
If that sounds familiar, yes, it’s named after the real-life cryptocurrency which is also part of a bunch of online memes that Elon Musk is known to love.
DOGE wants to get rid of “wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies,” with Ramaswamy already aiming his sights at a variety of expired authorizations of appropriations.
There are programs granted through Congress to receive approved funding within distinct timeframes. After which, the funding is supposed to expire, though they can be extended.
However, there are several instances in which these programs simply just receive more funding depending on their nature, even after their expiration has come.
A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found 1,264 examples equating to around $516 billion per year which would qualify.
Speaking on Elon Musk’s X social media platform, Ramaswamy spoke on the matter saying, “We shouldn’t let the government spend money on programs that have expired. Yet that’s exactly what happens today: half a *trillion* dollars of taxpayer funds ($516 B+) goes each year to programs (that) Congress has allowed to expire. There are 1,200+ programs that are no longer authorized but still receive appropriations.”
Billions of Dollars Could Be Cut From Veteran Healthcare
Ramaswamy spoke on Musk’s social platform on the plans of DOGE stating, "DOGE will help end federal overspending by taking aim at the $500 billion-plus in annual federal expenditures that are unauthorized by Congress or being used in ways that Congress never intended."
Both Ramaswamy and Musk did not specifically call out the VA, but their plan includes allocating $120 billion for the VA's medical services.
However, users pointed out that the plans on the table could have serious repercussions for a variety of programs, and cuts would be inevitable.
One notable example would have a direct impact on healthcare access for Veterans due to the current state of the Veterans’ Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996.
If programs involving a lack of Congressional authorization are stopped, the law, which had its authorization back in 1998 expire, would be affected.
The result? Cutting legislation that provides $120 billion in funding to the healthcare of Veterans who have earned their benefits.
On social media, Ramaswamy floated the idea of DOGE, specifically cutting government programs stating, "We can and should save hundreds of billions each year by defunding government programs that Congress no longer authorizes. We'll challenge any politician who disagrees to defend the other side."
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Could Also Cut Programs With Military Ties
As there are more than 1,200 potential programs in the crosshairs of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, it should come as no surprise that some are connected to the military.
This includes funding that has been used to assist NASA and the International Space Station—an interesting factor, considering Musk is heavily involved with privatized space travel through his SpaceX venture.
Education for low-income families could also be hindered, and the well-known early educational program "Head Start" could see cuts as well.
Not everything will be cut, or at least there’s a chance not everything will be cut. However, Ramaswamy and Musk continue to push ideas and rhetoric that will have DOGE making considerable reductions across the board.
What the end result looks like will be interesting and cutting programs that could be overfunded is a great thing for taxpayers.
However, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will both need to take each program individually before making sweeping decisions that could affect the lives inside and outside of the military community.
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