Urbandal, Iowa – Iowa sen. Joni Ernst has hailed Elon Musk and Trump Administration Department of Government Efficiency as a necessary strength in Washington, DC, and calls it “a storm that is on the way this way that will sweep over this city and forever change that way , it works on. “
State Governor, Kim Reynolds, has also put up with DOGE, in testimony she gave on Tuesday to an American house committee.
Nearly 1,000 miles away, people in a politically mixed suburb of Iowa’s largest metro area are well -informed about the development of the enormous effort to cut down on spending and the find federal agencies. Unlike their top chosen officials, several of them express concerns.
Some question the delivery of public services or whether Musk has the necessary authority. Others back Musk and say that his action is needed to consider the risk of doing something to sharply slow down federal expenses.
Below is excerpts from interviews conducted on Wednesday and Thursday in Urbandal, a northwest suburb of Des Moines.
Musk’s actions are not only “so dilapidated,” said Nelson, who added that he thought the federal workforce was bloated.
He said some conservative house-republicans’ suggestions to cut down on expenses with $ 2.5 trillion sounds good, but not in connection with its 10-year timeframe.
“Over 10 years? It means nothing, ”Nelson said.
“I want great education, clean water, clean air, great health care. But I don’t think a massive bureaucracy is the way to achieve these things, ”he said. “The reason I want Elon and Doge to succeed is that I want them to take a hatch for all this, so the money is actually going to do well.”
“I support it a lot,” Nelson said.
Olsen, a retired state employee, says she is concerned that a sudden reduction in the federal workforce will interfere with the flow of federal money to state programs that depend on it.
“Complicated would be the good way of saying it,” Olsen said.
“The state receives a lot of federal funding in support of its services, whether you are talking about education, programs for the aging population, rehabilitation services or public health initiatives,” she said. “What happens when the federal agencies are decimated? Does that funding come out on time? Vulnerable people in Iowa rely on it. ”
Thompson says it’s a “small scary” that Musk has access to sensitive government systems.
“For that matter, it is not as if he is one that Congress confirms,” added Thompson, referring to Trump’s cabinet -appointed, which requires Senate’s confirmation. “Not only did we choose him, he is someone who seems to have free reins and have not been confirmed by the people we choose.”
Thompson was a regular refrain among the troubled over Musk’s position and access.
“He has access to a lot of information and no one can say if he has passed any background evaluation,” he said. “What control has he reviewed to justify this broad access?”
Taff says the government is bloated and needs to cut, but trusted such a massive business to Musk suggests in his mind incorrectly that important public services are equal to business spending.
In addition, the retired army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from post -traumatic stress disorder and spent years appealing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ denial of his disability requirement.
“You have people like myself who need veterans’ benefits because my body and my mind have been deteriorating, while veteran affairs are already understaffed,” Taff said.
“Ask the people who are now on waiting lists that I was,” he said. “I had to fight tooth and nail for six years to get 100% disability.”
“So do I want to trim to be done? Absolutely, “said Taff.” Do I feel that attacking the infrastructure of the social programs that help people and for that purpose help keep what I can do for the economy, fluid? No, that’s not the answer. ”
Shaw said no Trump does by delegating the role of Musk breaking the Republican candidate’s campaign -promises.
“Someone finally holds the gun against the head and says, ‘No. It’s done. It’s over, ‘”Shaw said of Musk’s aggressive efforts to push for millions of federal employees to consider postponed resignation or retirement with eight months’ salary.
“I get the rebellion,” Shaw said. “But you have this moment now, and Trump, by handing over this job to Musk, sticking to his promise.”
Shaw attributes to the sudden and sweeping action tried by Musk for decades of failure by former presidents and congresses to act.
“My hope is that they will hold the whole government hostage, no matter how long it takes and that Trump says I will not sign a bill that does not balance the budget,” Shaw said. “We won’t do this anymore.”
Abou says the decision to put Musk in a starring role to cut government spending is an inherent conflict in view of his business bond to the federal government.
“It seems that it is aiming to help a very wealthy person maintain his wealth,” said Abou, who is also a part -time personal care assistant.
Musk’s Aerospace Company SpaceX has billions of dollars in NASA contracts. The federal aviation agency has awarded more than $ 4 billion to Musk’s company for two human moon landings planned for later this decade. Musk has also been in violation of the federal aviation administration over what he claims is excessive bureaucracy.
“Then you have someone who will not jeopardize his own interests, but are firmly by deep cuts that will cost many people their jobs,” Abou said. “Even if some expenses are eligible, his approach will make a lot of people poorer.”
___
