The President-elect has announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
DOGE is designed to operate independently without taxpayer funding and aims to enhance government efficiencies by July 2026. The recommendations from DOGE may include spending cuts, the elimination of redundant federal programs, and agency reorganization. Congressional approval will be required for many of these recommendations.
The House has passed the bipartisan "Social Security Fairness Act" aimed at repealing the Government Pensions Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision.
Efforts are underway to extend the 2017 tax cuts for individuals, but concerns have been raised about the cost. The Biden administration has implemented a rule to establish a notification system for investments in sensitive technologies, but there are discussions about more stringent measures.
Immigration policy challenges include the high costs associated with deportation efforts. Senator John Thune has been elected as the new majority leader in the Senate. The appointments of Pete Hegseth and Congressman Matt Gaetz for defense and justice positions respectively are expected to face scrutiny during the confirmation process. The outcomes of these initiatives and appointments will shape the political landscape in the coming months.