I applaud the goal of rooting out the pork. But, "We have to do something. This is something." doesn't excuse how it's being done.

Turning off the entire flow of money is unnecessary, even counter-productive, to understanding how the money is flowing. Even if half of the money is waste, turning off the other half is causing tremendous real harm for no reason.

It is completely unnecessary and horrific to rubber stamp around national security protocol for something as incomprehensibly impactful as the federal payments system.

And, in the end, what are we going to get out of all of it? What I'm seeing out of Elon is propaganda about programs like "studying shrimp on treadmills" which was an microscopic piece of a very sensible study on marine safety and security. That's exactly the kind of work the government is supposed to be doing. But, if you frame it badly enough, you can destroy it for everyone and claim it as a victory.

> Even if half of the money is waste, turning off the other half is causing tremendous real harm for no reason.

I mostly agree with you, except I would add that the waste is causing real harm as well, as it could be better spent.

Or we could repeal the Bush and Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, that are largely responsible for the deficit exploding in the first place?

https://www.google.com/search?&q=trump+tax+cuts+defecit

They aren't though - not even close.

I agree, but note that comment was in response to one that wrote "Have to start somewhere."