Army leaders to Musk: We will DOGE ourselves

Source: NBC News

May 1, 2025, 5:00 AM EDT / Updated May 1, 2025, 7:12 AM EDT


WASHINGTON — Under pressure to make drastic budget cuts, Army leaders have struck an unusual agreement with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency: Don’t DOGE us; we will DOGE ourselves. The process began at a March White House meeting attended by Vice President JD Vance, a Marine veteran; Army Secretary Dan Driscoll; and the Army chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, three defense officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Soon after the meeting began, Musk joined them. Together, the four men discussed Driscoll and George’s plans to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in what they and other Army officials agree is wasteful spending. The two men's goal is to cut jobs, consolidate commands and radically change the Army acquisition process, the three officials said.

“We have been working to get the best, most lethal, most modern tools in the hands of our soldiers,” Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesman, said in an email. “To do this we have to leave behind the anchor of obsolescence. We have to stop spending money on yesterday’s equipment and invest in war winning technology.”

Army leaders have long complained that members of Congress force them to spend billions of dollars on weapons, vehicles and programs they don’t want. Often, the spending is driven by members of Congress focused on bringing jobs and money to their districts or attached to legacy programs the Army leaders no longer want, the officials said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/army-leaders-musk-will-doge-rcna195286

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Truism of the day (from the above excerpts) -



In other words, "EARMARKS" or more commonly known as "PORK".

Part of the engine of the U.S. GDP. Meanwhile that money could go towards school breakfast and lunch programs or to subsidize low-incoming housing/utilities, etc.

But can you guess what those red state Congress critters will do about this?

This makes me think about former Congressman and Senator Jeff Flake, who I used to watch (when he was still in the House), show up at debates over various appropriations bills, waving around a piece of paper and then reading off the list on it of "earmarks" for spending added to the bills from his colleagues.