WASHINGTON, Sept 14 — Vivek Ramaswamy, a contender for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, said that he would seek to reduce the size of the US federal government by closing down five agencies if elected president in 2024.
The plan is to “reduce the size of the federal employees down by 75 per cent by the end of the first term”, Ramaswamy told Semafor on Wednesday, reported Sputnik.
The agencies that would be closed include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Department of Education; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services, he said.
Ramaswamy pointed out that he would use executive action and bypass Congress to close the agencies.
In addition, Ramaswamy said he would also execute “a revision of at least 50 per cent of federal regulations that failed the Supreme Court’s test”.
The plan does not entail replacing the agencies, however, it does envision relocating some employees to other government units, Ramaswamy said.
For example, 15,000 of the 35,000 FBI employees would be reassigned to roles within the US Marshals Service, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ramaswamy added.
— Bernama
