President Donald Trump hinted Wednesday that his administration might cut the Environmental Protection Agency.
During the first meeting of his Cabinet, Trump informed reporters that EPA administrator Lee Zeldin was looking to cut 65% of federal employees.
Trump stated, “I talked with Lee Zeldin, and he believes he will be cutting about 65 percent or more of the Environmental staff, while also speeding up the entire process.” Trump said that he had many people who were not doing their jobs or were obstructionists. He also had people that did not exist.
Trump has also said that there could be steep budget cuts at the Department of Education as he reiterated his calls for education to return to the state. Trump has in the past indicated that he would consider closing the entire agency through executive orders, even though Article II of the Constitution requires congressional approval to eliminate any federal agency.
Trump stated Wednesday that “we’re going to cut down the government… We’re over-bloated and sloppy.”
Trump’s remarks come as his administration and the newly created Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) led by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are seeking to shrink the size of the federal government and workforce.
Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, and Russell Vought, Director of Office of Management and Budget, issued a joint memo Wednesday to agencies urging them to prepare for “major reductions in forces” and develop downsizing plans before mid-March.
DOGE is also tasked to eliminate government waste, streamline operations and efficiency, and reduce spending. Trump stated Saturday that he wants DOGE to take a more aggressive approach going forward.
Musk has announced several initiatives to reduce the federal workforce. Musk said on Wednesday that without DOGE cutbacks, the U.S. would “go bankrupt”. Musk, for example, asked federal employees to respond by midnight on Monday night at the Office of Personnel and Management’s (OPM), listing the five accomplishments they made in the past week. Musk described the email as a “pulse-check review”.
Musk said that anyone who did not comply with the rules would be fired. Musk warned that another email would be sent out to DOGE to remove people on the government payroll who don’t exist.
Musk also said that DOGE was seeking to maintain jobs for all essential workers who perform well. However, he warned those who don’t may lose their job.
The White House announced Tuesday that one million federal employees had complied with Musk’s request for productivity emails and advised that each employee should consult their agency to determine the next steps.