Summary

Vivek Ramaswamy, recently appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has proposed defunding federal programs that lack current congressional authorization.

This could affect programs like veterans’ healthcare, NASA, and early education initiatives, which still receive funding despite expired authorizations.

Ramaswamy argues that cutting these programs could save billions, and he’s committed to targeting expenditures that “don’t advance the interests of American citizens.”

DOGE, co-led by Elon Musk, aims to curb government spending, with Musk estimating potential cuts of up to $2 trillion.

  • Marleyinoc@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    They won’t cut the funding that goes to the richest Americans and themselves of course.

    The crazy thing is the amount of money donated to a Trump by people who work for the Dept of Defense. Or maybe that includes contractors, aka, the rich.

    I’ve can only hope that they fuck things up so bad that… Oh who am I kidding. There are to many stupid Americans for anything they do to make a difference in the Trumpublican party.

  • pineapple_pizza@lemmy.dexlit.xyz
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    1 month ago

    Okay I agree with the other comments here but I’m a bit confused on this.

    How are we still spending money on these things if congress doesn’t approve it? The legislature sets the budget, did they just forget to make it official and extend these? Also why even have a phase out period in the first place?

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I think it’s because there is a difference between the Budget and Appropriations in Congress. The budget is a plan, where programs are authorized and an overall budget is set. The appropriations process is what assigns particular dollars to particular discretionary programs. (Certain programs deemed “mandatory” by Congress, like Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt, get allocated money automatically and are not involved in appropriations)

      If I had to guess, I would say that once a program is authorized once under a budget, it can continue as long as it (or the Federal department it is part of) is not specifically de-authorized, and as long as it continues to receive appropriations specifically for that program.

      So, it is likely that this is all about Ramaswamy’s total ignorance of how Congress works. Which tracks pretty well with what this DOGE is all about.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 month ago

        So, it is likely that this is all about Ramaswamy’s total ignorance of how Congress works. Which tracks pretty well with what this DOGE is all about

        How Congress worked.

        • dhork@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          It still works that way, until the rules change. Republicans have the votes to change how Congress works, if they act in unison. But they will have just a slim a margin as last time, and they had trouble electing a Speaker. Even in the next Congress, they needed a secret vote to elect the Senate Majority Leader because they didn’t want any receipts on who voted for whom to make it back to Dear Leader.

          It is possible that the Republican Party turns into a oroboros of spite, eating itself from within because of perceived grievances. That might be the best possible outcome we can hope for.

          • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            1 month ago

            Did the rules need to change to allow a convicted felon to become President? Why would they need to change for anything else?

            Fascism means “might makes right,” and Trump will be commander in chief of the US Military. Which, by the way, is larger than the next 9 largest combined (I believe, gonna double check real quick)

            Edit: yarp. Next ten countries combined actually: https://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0053_defense-comparison

            • yeather@lemmy.ca
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              1 month ago

              Actually there are only 3 requirements to be president in thr United States. Be 35 or older, be a natural citizen of the United States, and have lived in the United States for the last 14 years. People have ran from prison in the past, and there is legally nothing stopping a person from being president while also being in prison.

      • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Cool. And when EVERYONE is in the military, pissed, and unified with all of the guns and training? Oh, they can ordered, but orders can be ignored when enough people just say…nah, I’m getting fucked so I won’t do it until you do something for me - whatcha gonna do about it?

        • wanderingmagus@lemm.ee
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          1 month ago

          Orders already routinely get ignored, it just doesn’t get reported or logged. Maintenance isn’t actually done as written, or in the periodicity specified. Corrective maintenance isn’t actually done correctly, substitutions aren’t actually authorized properly. Gauges aren’t actually read, valves aren’t actually checked, and the sentries are neither alert nor roving. The IDs aren’t actually checked and the guard just waves people through unless there’s an inspection going on and the supervisor is there.

          That’s not even getting to the officers sweeping all this under the rug to look good on evals. Or the commanding officers ignoring stuff to get the ball rolling faster than the next commanding officer, to get that promotion. Equipment failures don’t get reported, personnel issues are just covered up - especially when everyone knows that so-and-so technician is doing this unauthorized vice, but we need said technician so nobody says anything, including back in Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. No, sir, I don’t know where the flamboyant individual is, probably doing the extremely essential maintenance only they are qualified for, sir. Definitely not in the parts locker with another individual of the same sex, which I’m standing in front of to prevent you from entering.

          Whoops, looks like the gender and sex record of the individual had a glitch at some point, must have been IT and Admin again, amirite? Well, the system says he is and has always been a man, sir, says it right there in the computer.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    We can’t be taking care of Veterans that is way to decent of a thing to do for Republicans.

  • fadingembers@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 month ago

    I am terrified at them defunding the VA. I’ve had a much easier time getting good medical care from VA doctors than I ever did going private and I’d be bankrupt without the VA. It’s because of the VA that I have any savings at all

    • 🖖USS-Ethernet@startrek.website
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      1 month ago

      Agreed. They must have gotten better in the last decade too, because I don’t see the horrible things that people have said about the VA. Yes there are long wait times for appointments, but that’s happening in private care now as well.

  • Asafum@feddit.nl
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    1 month ago

    Touching NASA very well might be the thing that finally pushes me to actual violence.

    Scientific endeavors, but specifically research and exploration of space are pretty much the only things in life I really have a passion for.

    • WashedOver@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      The last conservative government silenced the government scientists from discussing climate change and destroyed decades of research as they didn’t believe in it and it didn’t fit their Alberta oil jobs first objectives.

      We are looking at another Conservative government coming our way again in the next year and it’s going to be a super shit storm when our Cons and the US Cons are firing on all cylinders destroy everything they don’t like or believe in. I fear it’s going to take decades again to come back on the science again.

    • someguy3@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Back in the day they funded NASA because they were worried about being eclipsed by the USSR. Now they may worry about belong eclipsed by China. But yes they might move a shit ton to spacex.

    • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
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      1 month ago

      NASA is and has always been a way for the US to maintain a literal military high ground. If it gets defunded, I don’t think you’ll have to resort to violence, our rivals will do it for us.

  • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    America: Our soldiers are heroes! Also America: But they don’t deserve a penny and should pay exorbitant prices for healthcare…

    I know this isn’t all Americans, but it’s more than I thought.

  • WatDabney@fedia.io
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    1 month ago

    Entirely typical.

    Republicans have already dicked veterans over so hard that private charities have to try to make up for all of the broken promises.

    And it’s still not enough for them.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      If they really go whole hog and sell off the hospitals and stuff then I would think the next president would just go to a Veteran’s Public Option. There’s a world in which 5 years from now we prove Medicare for All works because they deleted the entire side of the VA that does healthcare.

  • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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    1 month ago

    As someone with just as much federal authority as the non-existent DOGE, I also propose defunding expenditures that “don’t advance the interests of American citizens.”

    And I would like to start with fucking Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon fucking Musk.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      as equal authority, I propose we just lock them up.

      I’m sure we can find something to actually justify it. Like, you know, betraying classified secrets to the russians, as well as providing intelligence and military aid;

      • adarza@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        if elon lied on immigration forms, strip his citizenship, seize his wealth and assets ‘earned’ after committing that crime, and kick him tf out.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          grab a shovel and start digging. Also, bring the tigerbalm, there’s gonna be a lot of nasty shit.

      • boydster@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Wait long enough, and neither will pass the nationalist purity test. The leopards will turn inwards for face-eating sooner than some fasc-allies think, I suspect

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        If we’re all just doing things without authority, why does it even need a legalized justification? Home Depot sells dog cages and padlocks.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Because kidnapping is one thing and seeing them convicted is another.

          I want him convicted in a court of law. Legitimately.

          All of these stupid fucks, to be clear. Musk. Trump. Vivek. There’s a long list of assholes that need some justice.

          • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            I want him convicted in a court of law. Legitimately.

            And I want a pet pig that flies. There’s nothing legitimate about how the US courts treat the rich and powerful.

            Even the ones that get convicted tend to go to cushy Club Fed prison resorts unless they mess with the money of other rich and powerful people like Bernie Madoff did.

  • m-p{3}@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    Please, keep pissing off the military, sounds like a FAFO-prone strategy.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 month ago

      There is a reason Trump is talking about replacing all of our generals (can you imagine the national security risk?) and replacing them.

      I’ll let you work it out on your own…

      • wanderingmagus@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        I don’t think he’s ever heard of “fragging”, “mutiny” and the extreme disdain the enlisted already have for REMFs.

    • Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Is the tide changing? I feel like the GOP has been dicking the veterans over my whole life and they’re still like their biggest and strongest supporters. Leopards and faces and all that.

  • molave@reddthat.com
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    1 month ago

    Optics of cutting the programs aside, it’s criminal that beneficial programs like these don’t get re-authorized.

  • Grogon@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    The clown is inviting more clowns and they are building up the circus, this could be funny if it wasn’t so serious.