DOGE EXCLUSIVE:
Sen. Joni Ernst is releasing a proposal for the Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ) that would reduce telework for government employees and sell empty government office space.
Since President-elect Trump appointed them to lead the new agency, Ernst, R-Iowa, serves as the chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus.
On Thursday, Musk and Ramaswamy may meet with Republican legislators in Capitol Hill to explore ways to cut federal waste.
MUSK, RAMASWAMY TO DISCUSS DOGE PLANS WITH GOP LAWMAWRAKERS:
On Thursday night, Musk and Ramaswamy are scheduled to attend her second Senate DOGE Caucus meeting, at which Erdst did present her new plan and a 60-page statement.
On Thursday evening, House Speaker Mike Johnson may attend an event with Musk and Ramaswamy for all Republican House and Senate politicians.
Ernst has been conducting telecommuting abuse studies for the past two decades and has based her advice to Expand on her results.
First, Ernst proposes that the federal government relocate the workforce from Washington to other locations. Ernst suggested legislation that would transfer non-security-related government offices and bodies ‘headquarters to locations with “existing expertise to carry out the mission and goals of each “( includes legislation).
In WSJ OP-ED:5 TAKEAWAYS, MUSK AND RAMASWAMY LAY OUT DOGE VISION
Additionally, she suggested moving at least 30% of the workforce from Washington, D.C. C., with field offices spread out across the nation fornon-security related government departments and agencies. Without any congressional approval,Ernst also suggested that the White House and executive branch agencies consider moving some of theirstaff. Next, Ernst suggests that Congress set a target for all federal government offices to have their headquarters be occupied for 60% of the day, despite the fact that no one agency currently has occupancy rates even half that high.
According to the report, “Millions of other government buildings are completely vacant and unfilled throughout the nation.” This is primariy leased space. The report goes on to say that “there is a simple solution.” Use it or lose it, you say! According to the report, maintaining and leasing government offices costs about$ 8 billion annually, with another$ 7. 7 billion dollars are being spent on energy to maintain them. According to Ernstst, the government owns 2,265 partially empty buildings and 7,697 vacant ones.
To expand the public building reform board’s goal of identifying unused properties for the government, she suggested that Congress pass the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act( FASTA) Reform Act, which would expand the scope of the government’s search for them. Without adding unnecessary strings and conditions, Ernst suggested that the General Services Administration would conduct an “vacant, unneeded, and underutilized building and property auction.
“She advised businesses to “immediatly cancel or allow the$ 15 million worth of underutilized leased office space and property “expire. Not a single major agency or department’s headquarters in the capital of the country is even partially occupied, according to Ernst’s report. “Government buildings have a 12% occupancy rate on average.
She also suggested that Congress pass legislation to “achieve a utilization rate of 60 percent or higher “by reducing and consolidating unused space. While Ernst suggests that a federal employee’s performance should be taken into account when working from home. Ernst suggested that nearly half a dozen bills that would “make telework transparent and accountable “be passed by Congress. ”