Posted on 01/01/2025 4:41:33 PM PST by SeekAndFind
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy laid out their vision for the new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) they will head within the Trump White House. They don’t yet have details (part of the plan involves identifying personnel, and then inefficiencies). But the vision has a three-part approach: ”regulatory recissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings.”
With politicians it’s often hard to know what is solid conviction and what is bluster for future bargaining. With Donald Trump, it’s always hard to know. He wants to renew the 2017 tax cuts, which lowered income and corporate taxes until 2025... but he also wants to tax imports at 10 percent to 20 percent (and 60 percent for China), which is the equivalent of a consumption tax on an American economy that is hungry for imported goods. Mr. Trump wants to cut red tape and federal spending… but he also wants to increase spending on defense and mass deportations.
Amidst all this, Messrs. Musk and Ramaswamy have bruited the lofty goal of a 30 percent cut in federal spending.
The federal budget was $6.2 trillion for FY23 (which I use here for accounting simplicity, rather than FY24). This represents almost 23 percent of GDP, to which we can add 13 percent spent by states and local governments. To this, we can also add the 10 percent of GDP in annual compliance cost with federal regulations, as estimated by the Competitive Enterprise Institute. This total means that, for every dollar of economic activity, fully 46 cents are controlled, directly or indirectly, by politicians and bureaucrats. And only 54 cents of each economic dollar are in the hands of American consumers, families, and entrepreneurs. As of November 2024, the national debt is at 120 percent+ of GDP, and interest on the debt is the fourth biggest budget item (at $659 billion/year, or about 11 percent of federal spending). Clearly, America has a fiscal problem.
Before we examine possible budget cuts, let us see where that whopping $6,200,000,000,000 is going. First, we must distinguish between mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Mandatory spending has been set in motion by Congress, without the need for annual negotiation or reauthorization. Discretionary spending must be legislated, in political jockeying between the Congress and the President.
Mandatory Spending (71.7 percent of total federal budget). AIER
Discretionary Spending (28.3 percent of total federal budget). AIER
I propose three options for budget cuts, from the bold (and probably politically impossible) to the marginal.
I hate having to repeat it, over and over again... But the American people and the political class seem to have forgotten that the U.S. Constitution is different. Most other constitutions of the world are documents of assumed powers: governments are allowed to do anything, except that which is prohibited by the constitution. The U.S. Constitution, however, is one of limited and enumerated powers: it may not do anything, except that which is authorized by the constitution. Article 1, section 8 grants a bit over a dozen legislative powers to Congress (beyond the military and international powers authorized to the President in Article 2, and the judiciary powers in Article 3).
According to Article 1, section 8, the Congress has power over the following, only:
taxes and import duties
borrowing
regulation of commerce among the states and internationally
establish uniform laws of immigration and bankruptcy
coin money, fix standards of weights and measures, and grant patents
punish counterfeiting and piracy
establish post offices and postal roads
to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court
declare war, and maintain and regulate armed forces
to control the District of Columbia and other federal properties
Lest there be any doubt about enumeration and limitation, the 10th amendment reads as follows: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or the people.”
It should be obvious, then, that the vast majority of federal expenditures are not authorized by the Constitution; as such, they are prohibited and unconstitutional. Only a small percentage of actual federal spending is authorized by the Constitution: defense, operating and retirement expenses for federal employees, support to veterans, international relations and justice (for a total of $1.46 trillion). If we squint very hard at the Constitution, we could conceivably see transportation ($115 billion), health ($100 billion), and the environment ($48 billion)... if we suppose generously that such expenditures are authorized under the commerce clause, as functions that cannot be handled by the individual states. Even then, we find ourselves at $1.72 trillion, or 27.7 percent of the current budget.
This would represent savings of $4.48 trillion, or 72.3 percent of the budget that could be returned from the unconstitutional hands of politicians and bureaucrats, back to American families, consumers, and entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the President lacks the authority to veto mandatory spending, and merely enjoys veto power over discretionary spending bills. And, for all his talk of reducing red tape, Mr. Trump has yet to show a libertarian or constitutional soul. It is thus unlikely that we will end up with a North American version of a chainsaw-wielding Javier Milei of Argentina.
A return to constitutional constraints would be lovely. But it is not in the realm of the politically possible. The second option would be to start with the low-hanging fruit of Social Security and Medicare. Social Security was born in 1935, as part of FDR’s New Deal, and Medicare came to be in 1965, as part of LBJ’s Great Society. Neither of these programs is means-tested (technically, the Social Security formula is redistributive, but participation in both programs is mandatory for all Americans).
Social Security might have been necessary in 1935 (I am skeptical, as I have read David Beito’s book, “From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890–1967.” Civil Society was doing a fine job of providing welfare, before the New Dealers decided everything had to be nationalized). But financial markets have evolved drastically since 1935. Americans now have easy, low-cost, and convenient access to mutual funds, and especially index funds that track the market without investor savvy. The federal government could easily get rid of the low-yield, pay-as-you-go Social Security pension scheme, and replace it with a high-yield, portable, individually funded retirement plan. The Chilean plan of mandatory 10 percent contributions to a private fund would be a simple start. Likewise, insurance markets (especially if they are deregulated, unsubsidized, and fixed) can take care of the majority of American retirees.
Simply stated, most Americans don’t need Social Security and Medicare. These two big-ticket items eat about one third of the federal budget. They are unconstitutional. And they are unnecessary. Again, as a student of David Beito, Alexis de Tocqueville, Henry Hazlitt, Marvin Olasky, economics, and history, I have learned the superiority of private charity over government welfare. But, as a temporary solution, Social Security and Medicare could easily be privatized, with a portion replaced by means-test programs, with a much smaller cost. Currently, about 20 percent of Americans receive federal welfare or Medicaid. Setting aside details, we can easily imagine privatizing pensions and healthcare for the other 80 percent, with an 80 percent cut in Social Security ($1 trillion in savings) and Medicare ($671 in savings), for a total of $1.67 trillion in savings. This would still not be constitutionally authorized, but it would represent almost one third of the federal budget. As a bonus, a privately funded retirement plan would represent a surge in investment, and thus of economic activity and tax revenue; the lower expenses would mean the national debt would not increase as much, and pressure on interest payments would be relieved. The true savings would thus exceed one third.
Unfortunately, all retirees, rich and poor, have their snout in the federal trough—this was the political genius, and the fiscal disaster, of universal programs (rather than targeted means-tested programs). Social Security and Medicare costs are politically dangerous, and Mr. Trump has already promised he would not touch the two biggest federal expenditures.
Without pushing constitutional respect or cutting the low-hanging fruit of big and outdated universal programs, the federal government could still save at the margin.
As mentioned above, the Competitive Enterprise Institute has calculated that 10 percent of GDP is spent each year on compliance with federal regulations. A Mercatus Center study estimates that, if regulations had stayed steady at the 1949 level, the American economy would be a whopping 3.5 times stronger (imagine, if you will, a GDP of $95 trillion instead of $27 trillion). What is more, regulation is regressive (it has a disparate impact on the poorest). Without attacking the budget directly, DOGE could take a serious ax to federal regulation, to great effect.
Finally, the Cato Institute has proposed a collection of small cuts that would amount to a serious $1 trillion to $2 trillion in savings (or 16 percent to 32 percent of the current budget).
It would be ideal, of course, to return to the constitution—for reasons of rule of law, as much as for fiscal prudence. More local responsibility, more market competition, less bureaucratic waste, more reliance on an efficient and human civil society over a wasteful and anonymous federal machine to help the poor—these would all be positive developments that would restore America’s fiscal health while actually tackling poverty. In the meantime, a 30 percent budget cut is within grasp—and it would represent a return to federal spending, not in some distant past… but as recently as 2001.
SS, Medicare, Medicaid and all welfare programs need to be phased out.
They’re nothing but social programs that can never be fully funded because it’s a ponzi type scheme the government is incapable of handling.
I could have done much better investing my SS tax then the government did... Keep the company match but only if you invest. You don’t invest you pay the price and are not my problem.
Medical care is not a right. You want it pay for it or get insurance although insurance is a major problem for the high cost. Drs charge insurance $1000.00 for a procedure but accept the $150 insurance pays out. Think about that.
And I said PHASED OUT not stopped immediately for those who want to argue otherwise.
Like switching to Geico, the government can save 15% by switching to H1B workers.
“So is Musk’s plan to fire US government workers and replace them with cheaper H1-Bs to save money?”
I would say put every administrative office up for bid to the private sector. Just like how we have civilian contractors to the military and other agencies. Let those companies who bid hire back whoever they think can be useful on the contract and reject the rest. Then every year, use attrition to get to the correct level of support. Companies will want to maintain their highest margins so they will improve on processes and use work force reduction as a means to get there.
This is nothing new.
Really? Even imported H-1B visa workers? SCREW that let our AMERICAN kids have those jobs.
So you are agreeing that even more US citizens are to be tgrown out into the streets and replaced br foreigners.
Interdasting.
30%? Do it like Argentina’s 80%.
RE: SS, Medicare, Medicaid and all welfare programs need to be phased out.
It isn’t accurate to call them welfare. Those are MONEY TAKEN FROM A PERSON’s EARNINGS THAT THE PERSON HAS ALREADY PAID FOR.
If you want to reform it, yes, by all means. But it’s not welfare ( as in, an illegal coming to the USA receiving money for living expenses ).
It’s welfare because what you paid in, at least for the majority of the people is far less than what you get back which is a definition of welfare: Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government, to people in need.
A male earning the average wage throughout his working life who retires in 2010 paid $55,000 into the Medicare trust fund, but is likely to receive $161,000 worth of Medicare benefits, the Urban Institute found. Far more now.
Medicare is available to people who are 65 years old or older, regardless of their work history.
In contrast, he pays $290,000 in Social Security taxes throughout his career and collects $256,000 in retirement payments if he retires at the full benefit age... sounds good but you’ve received a $106k more in medicare than you paid in.
Social Security benefits are based on the amount of income you earned during your working life.... except.. a non-working spouse who has never paid into social security can still collect benefits under current law thanks to the spousal benefits option.
15 cents of every SS dollar goes to SSDI
SSI is not tied to a recipient’s work history. You can receive SSI if you never have worked or paid Social Security taxes. But your income and other financial resources, such as bank accounts and property, must not exceed strict caps.
In 2024, the maximum federal SSI payment is $943 a month for an individual and $1,415 a month for a couple receiving SSI jointly.
RE: It’s welfare because what you paid in, at least for the majority of the people is far less than what you get back which is a definition of welfare
Let’s agree on some things. If you live a healthy life after you become eligible for Medicare and seldom use the benefit and then died suddenly, then it isn’t welfare to you.
And how is it welfare if you are COERCED to pay into it?
It’s like saying — YOU *WILL* RECEIVE WELFARE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT AND IF YOU DON’T, YOU GO TO JAIL.
RE: In contrast, he pays $290,000 in Social Security taxes throughout his career and collects $256,000 in retirement payments if he retires at the full benefit age
Yes, but what if he dies before he recieves the $290,000 he paid in? Is it still his welfare?
I never said anything about H1-B workers taking anyone’s job. Especially since many of these jobs require security clearances.
Where is the 100 billion categorized that we sent to Ukraine, and the millions to forgive college loans, and the trillion to pay people not to work during covid?
No the government keeps it.
SS is a scam... If you live a long life then you may make out IF it doesn’t go bust before you die which is where it’s headed.
The government should provide not funding for anything except defense of the country and should collect no taxes outside of that.
Congress should be NO PAY whatsoever, should be voluntary and only needs to be in session a couple weeks a year to pass a defense budget. We don’t need anymore laws period. What we need is a DOGE to get rid of the majority of laws on the books.
Don’t wanna do that.
Two words: Baseline budgeting.
Do away with baseline budgeting, then gut the bureaucracy.
Devolve most of it back to the states.
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