One of the most-discussed reforms that the new Trump administration is an advisory group with no budget or paid staff. Heading the curiously named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are two noted tech billionaires, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have close ties to President-elect Donald Trump. Their combination of technical expertise and direct access to Trump are significant assets that should be deployed quickly after Inauguration Day.
However, skeptics abound that because DOGE lacks any official authority, it will not be able to accomplish anything, particularly in a short period. Few can deny that the goal of achieving greater government efficiency is worthwhile, or that not making a renewed effort in this area (which others, such as Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration, attempted with minimal results) represents a preferred option.
Surprisingly, there is palpable bipartisan support that indicates the work of DOGE should be taken seriously. As Rep. Tom Suozzi, (D-N.Y., noted, “Democrats and Republicans should work together to make government more efficient without hurting people, and whatever we can come up with as a team would be great.”
Politically and practically, the long-term challenge will be to build momentum for larger DOGE initiatives aimed at reducing $2 trillion of federal budget bloat, ideally with the cost savings re-directed for public benefit.
How can DOGE achieve an early win that provides it with the necessary credibility and momentum to press ahead? Here, there seems to be a clear candidate where White House action, backed by congressional support, can help make DOGE become a formidable policy player in the coming months.
According to a 2023 Government Accountability Office report, the federal government spends over $100 billion on information technology annually. Most of that (80 percent) will be used to operate existing systems, including aging or “legacy” systems that can be costly to maintain and vulnerable to hackers.
In recent years, the GAO analyzed 65 federal legacy systems and identified the 10 most critical at 10 agencies, providing essential services such as emergency management, healthcare and defense. To date, most of them have made significant progress in developing plans to modernize their systems. The Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget have been laggards, and DOGE can recommend that they remedy their legacy IT shortcomings with more deliberate speed.
These agencies represent just the tip of the iceberg, and DOGE should require intensive across-the-board legacy IT audits and mandate time-based remedial implementation plans — out with the old and in with the new. The problem is so apparent that it can be addressed in the House and Senate if legislation would help the cause.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have proposed upgrading various outdated and slow federal IT systems. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, co-sponsored the Legacy IT Reduction Act of 2023, taking several steps to reduce the federal government’s reliance on outdated technology.
Trump should task DOGE with overseeing a Legacy IT System Executive Order to signal on Day One that it is ready to improve government efficiency in a tangible way. This action would be widely applauded by politicians and the public.
And in the spirit of governing consensus, Trump should let Congress know that when an updated Legacy IT Reduction Act is re-introduced and passed — including additions that require significantly cost reductions coupled with improved government services — he will sign it into law immediately.
The photo-ops are sure to follow. Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy clearly will be smiling. More important, they can demonstrate there is genuine political wind at their backs to undertake DOGE’s formidable and complex mission — marking additional wins one step at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuart N. Brotman is the Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor of Journalism and Electronic Media Enterprise and Leadership at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He serves as a Distinguished Fellow at The Media Institute and is the author of “The First Amendment Lives On.”
