Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent tech billionaire Elon Musk 30 ideas on how the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could reduce government spending. Ta.
In a Thursday letter to Musk, a close Trump ally and chairman of the committee, Warren called for allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, renegotiating contracts with the Department of Defense (DOD), and cutting back on taxes for big companies and the public. It recommended consideration of a number of progressive policy proposals, including reducing loopholes. highest income earner.
“On policy, I am disturbed by the dangerous proposals you have discussed and announced to date that would cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans Affairs benefits, and other programs that tens of millions of Americans value. This is a suggestion from you and your allies that “recourse and dependence are unrealistic and cruel.'' Warren wrote in a 21-page letter..
“It's outrageous to cut these programs in the name of government frugality while giving trillions of dollars in tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations,” she added, but at the same time, “the federal government… “We're spending trillions of dollars,” he said. It's right to waste money. And if you are serious about working together in good faith to reduce government spending in a way that does not harm the middle class, I have a proposal for you to consider. ”
Warren's main proposal to cut spending is to renegotiate contracts with the Department of Defense, which she claims contractors often inflate prices for the department. The progressive senator highlighted a 2011 inspector general report that found military contractors often jack up prices. And she called on Congress to issue a bipartisan “stop price gouging military bill to close loopholes in acquisition laws that make it nearly impossible for the Pentagon to get the data it needs to negotiate a fair deal.” Recommended that the bill be passed.
Warren said her recommendations on defense spending could save the government nearly $200 billion over the next 12 years.
The senator also suggested that Medicare should negotiate drug prices and police pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
Warren referenced a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in September, saying, “DOGE supports Congress's efforts to crack down on PBMs and will save the federal government and taxpayers billions of dollars by filing a lawsuit against the FTC. must ensure that they see this lawsuit through to its conclusion.” Last year, we competed against three large PBMs.
Warren's letter was sent after former 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami left the committee to focus on running for governor of Ohio.
Musk said DOGE would help save government spending by about $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Earlier this month, Musk told former President Clinton adviser Mark Penn that the numbers wereBest case result”
Warren has criticized Musk for supporting Trump's 2024 campaign with at least $250 million and asked the president what ethical standards are in place to prevent conflicts of interest. .
“Putting Mr. Musk in a position where he can influence billions of dollars in government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a strict conflict of interest agreement in place is a threat to our lifetime,” Warren said in a letter to Trump. “This will lead to corruption on a scale never seen before.” .
Musk has gone after Warren before, agreeing that the US would “absolutely” be harmed by having Warren in the Senate at the end of 2022.
