Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk, outlined key areas for reducing government waste during his appearance on Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s podcast, Unmuted.

Ramaswamy emphasized that the department will focus on tackling inefficiencies and waste through executive action once Trump takes office.

Ramaswamy, who has been a vocal critic of government bureaucracy, identified several “low-hanging fruit” areas for immediate reform.

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He specifically pointed to executive branch actions that can curb spending without Congressional approval, particularly highlighting waste in entitlement programs.

According to Ramaswamy, these programs often involve unnecessary frictional costs and contribute to an expanding administrative state.

He stated, “One of the low-hanging fruit areas is to look at areas under the executive branch, through executive action, that we can actually put an end to a lot of the money that hasn’t been authorized by Congress, but it’s still being spent, a lot of the waste, fraud and abuse.”

Ramaswamy went on to say that this approach would ultimately reduce the size of the administrative state, aligning government operations with the values of the Founding Fathers.

The focus will be on cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, especially within programs that continue to draw funding despite lacking proper authorization.

In addition to waste reduction, Ramaswamy and Musk are also committed to addressing defense spending. Both men have made it clear that, under DOGE’s direction, they will pursue cuts to defense spending while ensuring that the nation’s security needs are met.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, who has supported Trump’s initiative, introduced legislation last week to freeze federal salary increases and new hires until DOGE’s recommendations are implemented. Blackburn also presented a bill aimed at reforming the federal workforce by moving from tenure-based promotions to a merit-based system, a change she argues will increase efficiency within federal agencies. “And those are things that need to be enacted,” Blackburn said.

“We are just so pleased that President Trump has said now’s the time. We’re so pleased that he has said that you and Elon are the people to make this happen.”

When announcing the creation of DOGE, President Trump emphasized that the department would help streamline the federal government by slashing excessive regulations, cutting wasteful expenditures, and restructuring federal agencies. The goal is to make government more efficient, less bureaucratic, and more accountable to taxpayers.

Further supporting the initiative, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) recently introduced a new subcommittee for the 119th Congress, which will collaborate with DOGE to improve efficiency across federal operations.

Additionally, Representative Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) introduced the “Decreasing Overlapping Grants Efficiently (DOGE) Act” aimed at reducing redundant government grants spread across multiple departments.

Ramaswamy acknowledged that the undertaking would be significant, but he expressed optimism about the potential for success. “It’s a big undertaking,” he said. “But I do think that if we bring the public along and even allow the public to participate in airing areas where they’re encountering government waste or bureaucracy and surface that, we’re able to make this something that isn’t just top-down, but also bottom-up.”

As the department begins its work under Trump’s administration, it promises to tackle long-standing inefficiencies within the federal government, focusing on making it more efficient and responsive to the needs of American citizens.