Elon Musk’s government efficiency task force is set to use a recent Supreme Court ruling to reduce the power of federal agencies and cut down on what the team sees as unnecessary, costly, and inefficient regulations, as reported in a commentary article by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, November 20.
The Chief Executive Officers of Tesla and SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of biotechnology company Roivant Sciences and former Republican presidential candidate, were commissioned by President Donald Trump to establish and lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Citing two Supreme Court cases, the 2022 “West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency” and this year’s “Loper Bright v. Raimondo,” Musk and Ramaswamy believe many existing federal regulations may exceed the legislative authority granted by Congress. They added that the Department of Government Efficiency will continue to identify such regulations.
With clear voter authorization and a conservative majority in the Supreme Court at 6-3, the Department of Government Efficiency will have the opportunity to make significant structural streamlining within the federal government.
Musk and Ramaswamy wrote, “The Department of Government Efficiency will submit a list of regulations to President Trump, who can immediately suspend the enforcement of these regulations through executive means and initiate review and revocation procedures.”
They mentioned working with Trump’s transition team and hiring a team of “small government advocates” who will collaborate with the White House Management and Budget Office to reduce government spending and improve government performance.
Although named the Department of Government Efficiency, it is more likely to function as an advisory committee rather than a true government agency. Musk and Ramaswamy have set July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, as the target date to complete their work. It is expected that this work will delve into various corners of the vast U.S. government apparatus to seek reductions in spending, streamline organizations, and eliminate bureaucracy.
(This article references reporting from Reuters)