OPINION: Senator Len Jordan’s legacy may derail Trump’s spending cuts
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the Trump-appointed oligarchs tasked with cutting federal expenditures, have a daunting task ahead of them. This so-called “DOGE” duo has vowed to slash about $2 trillion in governmental spending, even though there was only $1.7 trillion in “discretionary” spending in the FY 2023 budget. About half of discretionary spending is for national security. Interest on the debt and mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, accounted for $3.8 trillion in last year’s budget. That means mandatory programs are now at risk with the $2 trillion target.
The budget review may be a worthy undertaking because there is undoubtedly substantial waste built into every U.S. budget. Recommendations made by the two should be considered by Congress and the new Administration, but that’s where problems will likely arise. To get to the amount targeted, it is almost certain they will recommend cutting into safety net programs. Although the DOGE duo and Trump claim a President can unilaterally implement their recommended cuts, the US Constitution and the legacy of my former boss, Senator Len Jordan, won’t permit Trump to do it.
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