DOGE grapples with leadership vacuum post-Musk departure

By Bo Erickson, Tim Reid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Department of Government Efficiency, the brainchild of Elon Musk that upended Washington with its rapid-fire drive to slash thousands of federal jobs and cut costs, is effectively leaderless now that the billionaire and his deputy have stepped down, U.S. lawmakers heard on Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump's budget chief, Russ Vought, told a congressional committee that efforts are under way to establish new leadership at DOGE, but its staff currently answer to Trump's cabinet secretaries.

"The Cabinet agencies that are in charge of DOGE, the consultants that work for them are fundamentally in control of DOGE," Vought said. "We're in the midst of establishing the leadership on an ongoing basis."

Vought's comments will only add to the uncertainty around the future of DOGE and its cost-cutting effort following Musk's announcement last week that he was ceasing work as a special government employee. A key lieutenant, Steve Davis, who was in charge of day-to-day running of DOGE, has also left.

The White House has said that DOGE's mission will continue in the absence of Musk, who has since publicly broken with Trump over his sweeping tax cut and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination."

The rapidly receding power and influence of DOGE was almost unthinkable as recently as a few weeks ago when it dominated the political landscape in Washington with its aggressive push to fire a swath of government workers.

Trump established DOGE to streamline what he says is a bloated and inefficient government. DOGE struggled to cut costs but was more successful in pushing thousands of workers to quit or take early retirement after threatening dismissal without benefits.

It is unclear if DOGE and its cadre of young computer technicians will survive in Washington without Musk, especially as some members of Trump's cabinet have soured on DOGE's tactics.

(Reporting by Bo Erickson and Tim Reid in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin and Matthew Lewis)

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