1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The proposed $2 trillion in budget cuts by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would have severe consequences. Much of the federal budget is off-limits to cuts, including Social Security, Medicare, defense, and interest payments on debt. This leaves only about $1.5 trillion available for potential reductions. The suggested $516 billion in cuts targeting veterans' health care and biomedical research at the NIH would be detrimental. Cutting vital services for 6.2 million veterans and undermining cancer research breakthroughs is unacceptable. Furthermore, slashing the federal workforce by 50-75% as proposed by Ramaswamy seems excessive given its current modest size relative to population growth since the 1980s. Unelected individuals should not wield such power over essential government programs and personnel without oversight. I implore you to scrutinize and reject any reckless budget proposals that compromise our commitments to those who served our nation and public health advancements.