WASHINGTON - Members of Congress are speaking out about President-elect Donald Trump's plans to slash federal jobs.
Trump has vowed to cut federal spending as part of his agenda -- a move he says will improve the U.S. economy and lead to better conditions for Americans.
In an op-ed penned for the Wall Street Journal, Trump advisors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy detailed how they plan to cut $2 trillion in spending.
Trump selected Musk and Ramaswamy to head up the Department of Government Efficiency, a new agency that the president-elect plans to create once he takes office in January.
In the op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy suggest that "unelected, unappointed civil servants within government agencies" are making enforcement decisions and expenditures rather than "the democratically elected president or even his political appointees."
"Nearly $1 trillion of budget they can't even tell you where it goes so I think that part of this is exposing for the public the extent of the rot and waste," Ramaswamy said.
The pair say they plan to "cut the federal government down to size" and part of that plan includes cutting potentially thousands of federal employees who they say "view themselves as immune from firing thanks to civil-service protections."
But it's a plan that has officials across D.C., Virginia and Maryland concerned about the economic impact of lost federal jobs.
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Musk and Ramaswamy say they'll pursue three major types of reforms: regulatory cuts, administrative reductions and cost-savings.
While not putting a number on them, they say federal employee cuts will be proportionate to the number of federal regulations, arguing fewer federal workers would be needed to enforce fewer regulations.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner sounded skeptical of the plan Thursday.
"The circumstances are going to be very interesting to see the president-elect has made a lot of promises and I know a whole lot of Americans thought 'I like that part but he's not going to do things that are way out there.' Well, time will tell," Warner said.
Maryland Rep. Glen Ivey echoed that skepticism, saying the removal of hordes of federal employees could be "dangerous."
"I think there are a couple of key points and one is sort of this wholesale of federal employees. It's dangerous and they've been talks of some attacks on the military," Maryland Rep. Glen Ivey said.
One big impact that could hit federal workers as soon as Trump returns to office is a requirement that all federal workers return to their offices five days a week and end telework.
Musk and Ramaswamy write in the Wall Street Journal that would immediately lead to mass resignations which they say would be "welcome."