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WASHINGTON — Tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy came to Capitol Hill Thursday to join Republicans in a celebration of the new initiative named the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) proclaimed it a “new day in Washington and a new day in America” and said Thursday’s meeting marked “the beginning of a journey.” Just don’t ask where the journey’s going or what DOGE, whose name is a nod to both a meme and a digital currency , will actually do. “There won’t be a lot of detail for the press today — and that’s by design, because this is a brainstorming session,” Johnson told reporters, before ducking into a meeting with Musk, Ramaswamy and a bunch of Republican lawmakers. The two men, who have outsize influence in Trump’s forthcoming White House without being in Trump’s Cabinet, created a spectacle on the Hill. The Tesla CEO moved between meetings carrying one of his young children on his shoulders, flanked by an entourage. Neither he nor Ramaswamy responded to questions from reporters. (Editor’s note: Ramaswamy owns a stake in HuffPost’s parent company, BuzzFeed.) Earlier on Thursday, Ramaswamy met alone with GOP senators, some of whom stressed afterwards that it is still up to Congress, not Musk and Ramaswamy, to set spending levels. President-elect Donald Trump has described DOGE as a non-governmental project that would function as more of an advisory panel for ways to root out waste, rather than a traditional government agency. “They’re more of an advisory group that works behind the scenes with the White House,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told reporters after leaving the meeting. Asked why DOGE would succeed when previous efforts to drive down spending with the help of an outside commission, like the 2010 deficit commission , have failed, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters, “That question is way too early for this process.” Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who’s leading the House group working with DOGE, told reporters the lawmakers talked with Musk and Ramaswamy about the national debt. “It’s unsustainable and our country is on a crash course,” she said. Greene also offered some insight into how DOGE would rate lawmakers: “Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for members of Congress and senators, and how we vote and how we’re spending the American people’s money,” she said . While lawmakers await DOGE recommendations, its leaders are both in favor of dramatically slashing federal spending. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who ran for president and then became a top surrogate for Trump, wants to eliminate 75% of the federal workforce. Musk has talked about wanting to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget — a goal that budget experts consider laughably unrealistic without reductions to Social Security and Medicare, which Trump has previously vowed not to touch. But Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), co-founder of the House DOGE caucus, told reporters that lawmakers would, in fact, examine cuts to “mandatory spending,” a category that includes these popular programs for older Americans. “I don’t want to take away benefits, but we do want to look at how we give those benefits away to do it in the most efficient way possible,” Bean said. Bean and many other Republicans are excited that Musk and Ramaswamy have brought renewed interest in cutting spending. Bean mused about other ways of driving attention to the project. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. “I envision some type of scoreboard where we can go to a website and see exactly how many positions we’ve cut, agencies we’ve cut,” he said. The House DOGE group includes at least one Democrat, Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who said eliminating waste and fraud “shouldn’t be a partisan issue.” But Democrats weren’t invited to attend Thursday’s meeting. As he left the meeting, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) offered a pessimistic take on the DOGE mission. “If Congress doesn’t have the guts to do those things they’re talking real big about, it’s just a waste of time,” Burchett said. Related From Our Partner
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The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday's newspapers... DAILY TELEGRAPH Steve Cooper is said to have been left stunned by his Leicester sacking, with Graham Potter a likely contender to replace him at the King Power Stadium. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player THE SUN Leicester players were seen partying in Copenhagen just hours after losing at home to former manager Enzo Maresca's Chelsea. Trending THE GUARDIAN Leicester City sacked Steve Cooper as manager on Sunday after just five months in charge. Leicester, promoted last season, are 16th in the Premier League, outside the relegation zone, but the hierarchy have been left unconvinced by performances, with player friction also a factor behind the scenes. Also See: Transfer Centre LIVE! Stream Sky Sports with NOW Download the Sky Sports app Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Kyle Walker insists Manchester City have not lost confidence despite Saturday's fifth consecutive defeat to Tottenham, with the captain insisting beating Feyenoord on Tuesday will recapture the champions' "mojo". DAILY EXPRESS Ruben Amorim pinpointed Joshua Zirkzee and Jonny Evans as two Manchester United players who need to improve after Sunday's underwhelming 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player DAILY MIRROR Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick believes on-loan Liverpool star Ben Doak is being targeted after a string of impressive performances. DAILY RECORD Under-fire Rangers boss Philippe Clement will not be leaving the club. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Scott McTominay has been crowned as the 'best number eight' in Italy by Lazio hero Hernanes. The Bhoys Celtic ultras have released a scathing statement on Hearts over the number of away tickets for Hoops fans. SCOTTISH SUN Hearts have issued an apology after a picture of a notorious loyalist killer was displayed on their stadium's big screen. Tom from Southampton became a millionaire for free with Super 6! Could you be the next jackpot winner? Play for free!Sam Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears 30-27 after blowing late lead
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PALM DESERT, Calif., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented its Huell Howser Excellence in Communication Award to Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) for its impactful MadeWithCCWD campaign. This creative campaign shined a light on the essential role of water in the community by leveraging community partnerships, targeted advertising and wise investment of rate dollars to ensure a reliable and high-quality water service. Community social media partnerships were a key component of the campaign, highlighting how seven businesses and organizations with varying uses of water utilize it for the good of the community. "It's critical that water districts continue to educate and engage their customers to support critical investments in large infrastructure projects and long-term water service reliability,” said ACWA President Cathy Green. "The comprehensive timing and outreach done for this campaign shows that creative and extensive communication can prove successful in helping customers understand the need for rate increases.” The award was presented during the 2024 ACWA Fall Conference & Expo in Palm Desert, where water professionals gathered for programs and panel discussions on California's critical water issues. CCWD was among four finalists for the award. Other finalists for this year's award were: Contact: Heather Engel, Director of Communications | (916) 669-2387
