One of the crucial-discussed reforms of the brand new Trump administration is an advisory group with no finances or paid workers. Heading the curiously named Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) are two famous tech billionaires, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who’ve shut ties to President-elect Donald Trump. Their mixture of technical experience and direct entry to Trump are vital property that ought to be deployed rapidly after Inauguration Day.
There’s palpable bipartisan assist that signifies the work of DOGE ought to be taken severely. As Rep. Tom Suozzi, (D-N.Y.), famous, “Democrats and Republicans ought to work collectively to make authorities extra environment friendly with out hurting individuals, and no matter we are able to give you as a staff could be nice.”
Politically and virtually, the long-term problem shall be to construct momentum for bigger DOGE initiatives geared toward lowering $2 trillion of federal finances bloat, ideally with the price financial savings re-directed for public profit.
How can DOGE obtain an early win that gives it with the mandatory credibility and momentum to press forward? Right here, there appears to be a transparent candidate the place White Home motion, backed by congressional assist, will help make DOGE turn out to be a formidable coverage participant within the coming months.
In accordance with a 2023 Authorities Accountability Workplace report, the federal authorities spends over $100 billion on data know-how yearly. Most of that (80%) shall be used to function present programs, together with getting old or “legacy” programs that may be pricey to keep up and weak to hackers.
Lately, the GAO analyzed 65 federal legacy programs and recognized the ten most important at 10 businesses, offering important companies resembling emergency administration, healthcare and protection. To this point, most of them have made vital progress in creating plans to modernize their programs. The Division of Transportation and the Workplace of Administration and Funds have been laggards, and DOGE can suggest that they treatment their IT shortcomings with extra deliberate velocity.
These businesses signify simply the tip of the iceberg, and DOGE ought to require intensive across-the-board legacy IT audits.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, (D-Fla.), and Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-Calif.), have proposed upgrading numerous outdated and sluggish federal IT programs. Sen. Maggie Hassan, (D-N.H.), and Sen. John Cornyn, (R-Texas), co-sponsored the Legacy IT Discount Act of 2023, taking a number of steps to cut back the federal authorities’s reliance on outdated know-how.
Trump ought to job DOGE with overseeing a Legacy IT System Govt Order to sign on Day One which it is able to enhance authorities effectivity in a tangible approach. This motion could be broadly applauded by politicians and the general public.
And Donald Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy can display there may be real political wind at their backs to undertake DOGE’s formidable and complicated mission.
Stuart N. Brotman is the Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor of Journalism and Digital Media Enterprise and Management on the College of Tennessee, Knoxville. He serves as a Distinguished Fellow at The Media Institute./InsideSources
