Washington: Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday stepped down as a ‘Special Government Employee’ amid widespread protests. Musk thanked US President Donald Trump for giving him an opportunity to reduce the wasteful spending by the government.
In a post on X, he said, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk added that he intends to give the president advice even as he closes out his time in the administration. “I expect to remain a friend and an adviser and certainly, if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service,” Musk said.
Trump praised Elon Musk for doing a “fantastic job” as head of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and assured that the department, founded by Musk to cut unnecessary funding and boost the US economy, will remain functional.
Here’s all you need to know about DOGE, the controversial One Big Beautiful Bill and what next after Elon Musk’s exit.
What Is DOGE?
Despite its formal-sounding name, DOGE is not an official government department. Only an act of Congress can establish such a department. Instead, the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create the advisory body.
According to the order, part of DOGE’s mission is to upgrade IT to increase efficiency. The work must be completed by July 2026, but Trump could issue another executive order to extend that deadline.
Many of DOGE’s employees appear to be youth with technical backgrounds and little or no government experience.
What Is ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’?
More than 1000 pages long, the bill is officially titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025” (OBBBA). It was narrowly passed by the US House of Representatives last week. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, includes a pledge to raise defence spending and introduce multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts.
The House Bill aims to prolong or solidify several tax measures introduced in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which are currently scheduled to lapse, while also incorporating new tax-related provisions.
The bill includes expanded tax cuts, additional eligibility requirements for federal benefits, and an increase in the national debt ceiling – all key points of contention that were agreed upon by the House of Representatives on Thursday morning by a vote of 215 to 214.
It incorporates key tax reductions from the 2017 TCJA, allocates more funds for border security, imposes work mandates for Medicaid recipients, and scales back tax incentives for clean energy initiatives.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the package’s tax provisions would increase the budget deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.
Did Elon Musk Leave DOGE Over The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’?
Musk flagged concerns about Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package, saying in a video released on Tuesday that he believes it would raise the US budget deficit and undercut efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, according to CNN.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” CNN quoted Musk as saying.
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” he added.
DOGE is poised to continue its work even as Musk steps back, with staffers to remain in place, embedded across federal agencies, for months or years to come.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Musk has stepped away, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ now heads to the Senate, and Trump, unsurprisingly, is eager to see it pass and is requesting the Senate to get on board.
“It’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” he wrote on social media on Thursday.
The Senate still needs to sign off on the bill and might tweak a few things – some lawmakers have already hinted at changes. If they do, it’ll head back to the House for another crucial vote.
Democrats, who do not have a majority in the House or Senate, criticised the bill, particularly regarding Medicaid and Snap changes.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, termed the bill as a “reckless, regressive and reprehensible GOP tax scam” and vowed that he would use it against Republicans in the midterm elections in 2026.
The White House stated: “If the bill fails to pass, it could result in a $4 trillion tax hike, potentially leading to recessionary challenges.”
ALSO READ: White House Declares New DOGE Leaders After Elon Musk’s Exit
