DOGE is a red herring. Regulations on laws are never passed by Congress

This is not about efficiency, or saving money, this is a red herring. This is about avoiding constraints on what you want to do no matter who it benefits or harms.

Read Musk’s objectives for efficiency.

DOGE will work with legal experts embedded in government agencies, aided by advanced technology, to apply these rulings to federal regulations enacted by such agencies. DOGE will present this list of regulations to President Trump, who can, by executive action, immediately pause the enforcement of those regulations and initiate the process for review and rescission. This would liberate individuals and businesses from illicit regulations never passed by Congress and stimulate the U.S. economy.

When the president nullifies thousands of such regulations, critics will allege executive overreach. In fact, it will be correcting the executive overreach of thousands of regulations promulgated by administrative fiat that were never authorized by Congress. The president owes lawmaking deference to Congress, not to bureaucrats deep within federal agencies. The use of executive orders to substitute for lawmaking by adding burdensome new rules is a constitutional affront, but the use of executive orders to roll back regulations that wrongly bypassed Congress is legitimate and necessary to comply with the Supreme Court’s recent mandates. And after those regulations are fully rescinded, a future president couldn’t simply flip the switch and revive them but would instead have to ask Congress to do so.

A drastic reduction in federal regulations provides sound industrial logic for mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy. DOGE intends to work with embedded appointees in agencies to identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions. The number of federal employees to cut should be at least proportionate to the number of federal regulations that are nullified: Not only are fewer employees required to enforce fewer regulations, but the agency would produce fewer regulations once its scope of authority is properly limited. Employees whose positions are eliminated deserve to be treated with respect, and DOGE’s goal is to help support their transition into the private sector. The president can use existing laws to give them incentives for early retirement and to make voluntary severance payments to facilitate a graceful exit.

Excerpt from Opinion, Wall Street Journal, by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy 11-21-24

“Illicit regulations” never passed by Congress – Sounds pretty good – for some businesses and the super rich.

Probably not so good for the average American who most of the regulations are designed to protect.

Congress does not pass regulations. Regulations are not illicit. They may be too broad at times, not fully consistent with the intent of Congress, but you fix it not eliminate it.

No doubt Musk knows you can’t operate a law without regulations interpreting and applying the words and intent of the law.

He also knows that elected officials at any level are not equipped to nor do they want to micromanage the laws they pass.

And he knows or should, that running government is not the same as running a company you control. Why do companies have supervisors, managers and vice-presidents making decisions everyday? Because that is not possible for the CEO.

Regulations are necessary and proper,

Regulations on laws are necessary for several reasons:

• Clarity and Consistency: Regulations provide detailed interpretations and implementation guidelines for broad laws. This ensures consistent application and reduces ambiguity.
• Efficiency: Regulations streamline processes and procedures, making it easier for individuals and businesses to comply with the law.
• Accountability: Regulations set standards and benchmarks, which can be used to monitor compliance and hold individuals and organizations accountable.
• Protection of Rights: Regulations can be used to protect the rights of individuals and groups, especially those who may be vulnerable or disadvantaged.
• Adaptability: Regulations can be updated more quickly than laws to address new challenges and changing circumstances.

However, it’s important to note that excessive or poorly designed regulations can also be harmful. They can stifle innovation, increase costs, and create unnecessary burdens.

Imposing the Trump/Musk ideology of Laissez-faire will not go well for average Americans.

At what cost will money be saved?