Musk's budget cuts save billions, but taxpayers bear the cost
The Department of Government Efficiency in the USA, led by Elon Musk, claims to have saved $160 billion ($222 billion CAD) due to budget cuts. An analysis cited by CBS News indicates that it simultaneously generated costs for American taxpayers amounting to $135 billion ($184 CAD billion). And that's not the end of it.
Although it's only a matter of time before Elon Musk steps down from chairing the Department of Government Efficiency, it is already known that his so-called department, working on—as he himself said—eliminating waste and fraud in government spending, saved $160 billion ($222 CAD billion). This is significantly less than Musk promised during the election campaign, attributing everything to Donald Trump.
USA. Musk's department generated billion-dollar costs
However, according to an analysis conducted by the non-profit organization Partnership for Public Service, these actions may cost taxpayers $135 billion ($184 CAD billion) in the current fiscal year. It was noted that this does not include the defense costs against numerous lawsuits challenging the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Recall that the department led by Musk and Trump influenced and led to the resignation of some federal agency employees in the first weeks of the new administration. Despite laying off 24,000 people from 18 agencies, mostly those on probation, a court ruled in March that they must return to work.
Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, emphasizes that the actions of the Musk-overseen department, instead of eliminating waste of public funds, generate additional costs. - This is an effort that was created to address waste, but we were seeing the opposite. Ultimately it's the public that will end up paying," commented Stier to CBS News.
The White House has already responded to the analysis, criticizing its conclusions that undermine the department's actions. The media, which revealed this information, came under fire once again.Harrison Fields, Deputy Press Secretary at the White House said that the American public supports the president's mission and will not be misled by the lies of traditional media.
The department plans further cuts, which are expected to bring an additional $38 billion ($53 CAD billion) in savings over a decade. However, experts warn that the reductions could affect the funding of scientific and health research, potentially resulting in economic losses. Musk said on Tuesday that he would limit his work in the department from May. He assured that until the end of Trump's term, he intends to continue working towards the elimination of public fund waste, but no longer as the head of the department.
