By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON – Billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy met Thursday with Republican lawmakers whose support they will need to push through the sweeping spending cuts President-elect Donald Trump has demanded of them.

The two entrepreneurs were appointed by Trump to a task force seeking comprehensive reform of the U.S. government, which spent $6.8 trillion in the last fiscal year. Musk has set a savings goal of $2 trillion, but has not said whether this will be achieved in a single year or over a longer period. The co-chairs of the Department of Government Efficiency have called for laying off thousands of federal workers, cutting regulations and eliminating programs whose authorization has expired, such as health care for veterans.

That might be easier said than done. Any changes to veterans’ benefits or other popular programs that serve millions of Americans would likely face intense backlash, and efforts to reduce the workforce could disrupt everything from law enforcement to air traffic control.

Clutching a small child’s hand, Musk stormed through the Capitol corridors near the Senate chamber, surrounded by police, reporters and photographers.

After being peppered with questions about whether he would support cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as cuts to defense, Musk finally replied: “I think we just have to make sure we’re spending the public’s money well.”

When asked about eliminating electric vehicle tax credits, Musk said, “I think we should eliminate all credits.”

Ramaswamay met separately with a group of Senate Republicans, including Thom Tillis, who said he believed there were “tens of billions of dollars” in spending that could be quickly clawed back.

As co-chairs of the efficiency task force, Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Ramaswamy, a former biotech executive, would likely have to work with Congress to achieve significant reductions.

Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the White House next year, but they may struggle to pass significant cuts. While lawmakers approve about $1.7 trillion in defense and domestic programs each year, most federal spending consists of health care, pensions and other benefits programs that fall outside the annual budget process. Lawmakers have no control over interest payments, which are expected to top $1 trillion this fiscal year.

Republican lawmakers have said they would be happy to cooperate. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right firebrand, will chair a House panel to work with Musk and Ramaswamy, and Senate lawmakers have also expressed openness to the idea. Republicans secured limited spending cuts in their showdown with Democratic President Joe Biden in 2023 but have been unable to agree on further cuts since.

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