Elon Musk's DOGE Sets Sights on California's High-Speed Rail and Anything Fine-Free It Encounteres
As Doge, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's "Department of Government Efficiency" commences, the two tycoons are scouting for federal programs and organizations to slash, aiming to facilitate Musk's announced objective of reducing the federal budget by $2 trillion. Although skepticism has been voiced toward this goal's feasibility, the duo remains unyielding in unveiling a growing portfolio of targets to stir apprehension and give the impression of action.
One of their recent objectives is California's persistently struggling high-speed rail project. A federally financed scheme that Musk has previously criticized, the rail project was supported in a 2008 ballot initiative by voters. Despite billions spent and minimal progress, only a quarter of the proposed rail line has been constructed until now. The project partially relies on federal grants, yet funds had temporarily ceased during Trump's first term. When Biden assumed office, funding resumed.
Previous reports have pointed out that Musk advocated for the Hyperloop - a futuristic subterranean shuttle - to undermine California's rail project. Musk hyped the Hyperloop for years, however, he had no intention of building it. Musk strategically utilized this divergence to challenge the public's and lawmakers' faith in the rail system, since he is in the vehicle sector. Weeks later, Ramaswamy echoed this stance in a post on Musk's platform, X, labeling the rail a "wasteful vanity project" that squandered "billions in taxpayer cash without a promising completion date within the decade." He further stated, "President Trump appropriately rescinded nearly $1 billion in federal funding for this boondoggle in 2019; however, Biden reversed this and amplified the investment."
Ramaswamy's comments emerged shortly before their visit to Capitol Hill to converse with legislators regarding their plans. The billionaires convened with Republicans in D.C. on Thursday, discussing how DOGE would rejuvenate "limited government" principles during their private session. During this conference, which involved the new Senate Republican leader John Thune, potential areas for budgetary cuts were examined, allegedly encompassing mandatory spending schemes such as Social Security and Medicare. In fact, Thune informed a journalist that "potential investment areas for cuts could perhaps include mandatory programs, such as Social Security, for instance."
Another domain Musk highlighted was federal subsidies for electric vehicles. In what appeared to be a daring attempt to drive a policy that would undoubtedly benefit his own EV company Tesla, Musk reportedly conveyed to a journalist that he believed the government "should discontinue all credits." In July, Musk shared similar aspirations, disseminating via X, "Eliminate subsidies. This would only favor Tesla." He added, "Remove subsidies across all industries!"
Musk's influential sway in electoral politics is credited to his substantial resources. Recent scrutiny of recently disclosed Federal Election Commission filings found that Musk shelled out over a quarter of a billion dollars – around $277 million – to support Trump's re-election bid. The Washington Post has suggested that Musk may have spent even more, as "Musk's entire donations this election cycle" may not be fully represented in publicly available data.
A significant chunk of Musk's financial contributions were channeled towards America PAC, the experimental political action committee he founded. He also donated substantial funds to lesser-known organizations, such as a PAC prodding Americans to believe that Trump did not wish to take away their abortion rights. Known as RBG, in tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, this PAC received up to $20 million from Musk, as reported by the New York Times.
Musk has expressed his intent to utilize the infrastructure built during the campaign to continue advocating for his political agenda in D.C. He plans to maintain America PAC's operation, potentially leveraging it to challenge liberal district attorneys across the nation. Musk also intends to persist in employing X (formerly Twitter) to broadcast his and Trump's message to the public.
The duo, Musk and Ramaswamy, have expressed interest in scrutinizing federal funding for high-speed rail projects, like California's, due to their potential ineffectiveness and high costs. In the future, they aim to leverage technology and innovation, such as Musk's proposed Hyperloop, to revolutionize transportation.
As part of their goal to reduce the federal budget, Musk and Ramaswamy are considering targeting tech-related sectors, including subsidies for electric vehicles, to promote fiscal responsibility and foster a more efficient market.
