Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently delivered a floor speech in defense of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In front of a printed image of a SpaceX explosion, Tillis said that “innovation requires pushing the envelope and taking calculated risks.”
“I’ve been in the U.S. Senate for 10 years. I’m sick of saying that Medicare has to get better. I’m sick of saying that Medicaid has to get better… So if we don’t take some calculated risks, then we’re going to be talking about the same sort of vexing issues 10 years from now.”
Thom Tillis (R-NC) ranks high on the list of wealthiest senators with a fortune of roughly $11 million– good for the 13th richest in the Senate. Tillis encourages taking calculated risks, but the consequences of these risks are likely to be felt by working-class families.
Thus far, the risks taken by Elon Musk and DOGE have involved dismantling elements of the federal government that provide crucial services and protections to the American people.
Musk and DOGE have gained access to 15 federal agencies. Early estimates indicate that tens of thousands of federal employees will lose their jobs due to DOGE cuts. Many of these staff were employed to provide direct services to the American people– serving in agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and FEMA.
The government spends about $350 billion on federal employees every year out of a $6.5 trillion budget. That represents a small amount of total government spending — just around 5% to 6%.
Beyond staff reductions, Musk has been canceling or pausing critical operations at several agencies. Musk has largely dismantled the work of USAID which oversees global humanitarian efforts. DOGE also terminated 89 independent research contracts worth nearly $900 million at the department’s Institute of Education Sciences, which conducts research and evaluation for millions of students nationwide.
As for Medicaid – the health care program for low-income and disabled Americans that Tillis referenced – Republicans followed Musk’s lead and passed a bill that calls for $880 billion to be cut from Medicaid moving forward. If these budget cuts are approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Trump, North Carolina stands to lose $27 billion in federal health care funding. The 630,000 North Carolinians who recently gained coverage through Medicaid expansion – and all 2.6 million North Carolinians on Medicaid – would be at risk of losing coverage.
