In a startling announcement that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, Indian-American Vivek Ramaswami, who is vying to become the Republican Party’s candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections, has unveiled a bold and controversial plan to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government.
Ramaswami’s proposal, disclosed in an interview with the American news website ‘Axios,’ outlines a radical vision for reshaping the government’s workforce and responsibilities. He has pledged to cut more than 75 percent of federal government employees and close down several key agencies, including the FBI, if he secures victory in the 2024 election. His plan also includes an ambitious goal of reducing the number of government employees by 50 percent within the first year of his presidency.
According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal workforce is composed of an estimated 2.1 million civilian workers. Ramaswamy’s plan would reduce this number by almost half, leaving only 1.1 million federal employees. He said that he would exempt the military, law enforcement, intelligence, and national security personnel from his cuts, as well as essential health care and social service workers.
In his interview , Ramaswami identified specific targets for downsizing, which include the Education Department, FBI, Excise, Tobacco, Arms and Explosives Bureau, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, IRS (Internal Revenue Service), and Commerce Department. He emphasized that this process would begin immediately upon taking office, with the aim of achieving the 50 percent reduction within the inaugural year of his presidency.
Ramaswami defended his proposal by pointing out that a significant portion of the federal workforce is nearing retirement age, suggesting that natural attrition would offset some of the job cuts. According to Axios, he asserted that the plan’s objective is to eliminate 75 percent of the approximately 2.2 million federal government employees over a four-year period, Ramaswamy told Axios in a phone interview.
The implications of such a massive downsizing are profound, with over 1.6 million individuals potentially facing job losses. While this could result in substantial cost savings for the federal budget, critics argue that it would also disrupt essential government functions and services.
The proposal has ignited a fierce debate among political pundits, with experts and commentators from both sides of the aisle weighing in on the potential consequences of such a drastic overhaul of the federal government. As the 2024 election cycle unfolds, Ramaswami’s controversial plan is likely to remain a focal point of discussion and scrutiny.
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