A Trump administration internal memo presents a comprehensive plan to drastically cut government staffing, which includes a 50% reduction at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a proposed one-third cut to the Treasury Department’s workforce.
The memo, which was drafted only a week ago, was prepared in advance of impending Reductions in Force (RIFs), which are anticipated to significantly reduce government payrolls. According to the Washington Post, Trump has directed federal agency heads to develop their own downsizing plans, and widespread layoffs are scheduled to start next month.
The Small Business Administration, which is anticipated to be cut by 43%, and HUD, which is expected to be cut by 50%, are two of the agencies that will be subject to significant cuts. Under Secretary Linda McMahon, the Education Department has been ordered to cut staff by half, which could result in a $6 billion savings. The Justice Department is also expected to save $1.9 billion with an 8% cut.
Historically a bipartisan funding favorite, the National Science Foundation will see a 28% cut, and the Commerce Department will see a 30% cut. Cuts are expected to reach 30% at the Treasury Department, which includes the Internal Revenue Service.
During cabinet sessions and public gatherings, Trump’s cabinet officials have commended Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for its cost-cutting initiatives. “The entire cabinet is aligned, supportive, and understands the president’s vision being executed by Elon Musk in partnership with all agencies, including USDA, which has over 100,000 employees,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told DailyMail.com.
“Based on your performance, you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest,” according to emails sent to probationary employees who were fired; Rollins did not respond to these emails. As the government deals with a bird flu outbreak, some of those fired worked in the crucial field of food inspections.
“It’s no secret the Trump Administration is dedicated to downsizing the federal bureaucracy and cutting waste, fraud, and abuse,” Harrison Fields said in response to a question about the contents of the memo. Noting that Cabinet Secretaries would make announcements at the proper time, he added that the document is a pre-deliberative draft and does not accurately reflect final reduction plans.
In an effort to save $1.8 billion, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced a reorganization at the Department of Health and Human Services that will result in the loss of 20,000 jobs, bringing the workforce down from 82,000 to 62,000. 3,500 full-time jobs at the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 at the Centers for Disease Control, and 1,200 at the National Institutes of Health will be eliminated as part of the plan.
Musk said, “At a high level, we want to reduce spending by eliminating waste—reduce spending by 15%,” in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News about possible cost savings. which appears to be quite doable. There is a lot of waste and fraud, and the government is ineffective. “When we do make mistakes, we correct them quickly and we move on,” he said, acknowledging some high-profile errors like the dismissal and subsequent rehiring of nuclear safety personnel.
