International
oi-PTI
Indian
American-Republican
presidential
aspirant
Vivek
Ramaswamy
has
said
he
would
fire
more
than
75
per
cent
of
the
federal
workforce
and
shutter
several
major
agencies
like
the
FBI
if
he
wins
the
2024
elections,
as
he
continued
to
put
forward
strident
proposals
that
have
helped
him
stand
out
in
the
crowded
primary
field.
In
an
interview
with
American
news
website
Axios,
Ramaswamy
said
that
his
targets
would
be
the
Department
of
Education,
the
FBI,
the
Bureau
of
Alcohol,
Tobacco,
Firearms
and
Explosives,
the
Nuclear
Regulatory
Commission,
the
(Internal
Revenue
Service)
IRS,
and
the
Commerce
Department.
Ramaswamy
“We
would
start
on
day
one,
and
we
want
a
50
per
cent
reduction
by
the
end
of
year
one,”
he
was
quoted
as
saying.
”Keep
in
mind
that
30
per
cent
of
these
employees
are
eligible
for
retirement
in
the
next
five-year
period,” Ramaswamy,
38,
said.
”So
it
is
substantial
–
no
doubt
about
it
–
but
it’s
not
as
crazy
as
it
sounds,”
he
said.
Trump
Says
Vivek
Ramaswamy
Would
Be
‘Great’
Vice
President
Pick
According
to
Axios,
Ramaswamy
says
his
eventual
goal
would
be
to
cut
the
federal
civil
workforce
of
2.2
million
people
by
75
per
cent
after
four
years.
Ramaswamy
made
a
strong
case
in
a
speech
at
the
America
First
Policy
Institute.
”In
order
to
actually
get
this
job
done,
we’re
going
to
have
to
confront
several
myths
that
have
been
perpetuated
in
this
town
by
advisers
and
members
of
the
very
bureaucracy
that
we’re
trying
to
shut
down
that
we’re
going
to
have
to
confront
and
overcome,” Ramaswamy
asserted.
”It’s
like
the
equivalent
of
working
at
a
company.
The
HR
department
does
not
actually
determine
the
rules
without
reporting
to
the
CEO.
It
works
the
same
way
for
the
federal
government,
as
well,”
he
said.
His
pitch
was
another
echo
of
former
President
Donald
Trump,
whom
he
has
modelled
himself
after
and
who
sought
to
expand
political
control
over
the
federal
workforce
near
the
end
of
his
term.
”Good
presidents,
excellent
presidents
from
(Ronald)
Reagan
to
(Donald)
Trump
have
spoken
to
the
same
ideal,
and
I’ll
give
credit
to
Donald
Trump
for
taking
more
steps
than
have
been
taken
in
a
generation
in
the
direction,”
he
said.
About
2.25
million
people
work
for
the
federal
government
in
civilian
roles.
Cutting
more
than
75
per
cent
of
that
workforce
would
result
in
more
than
1.6
million
people
being
fired,
saving
billions
of
dollars
in
the
federal
budget
but
also
shutting
down
critical
functions
of
the
government,
The
New
York
Times
said.
Ramaswamy’s
harsh
proposals
have
helped
him
stand
out
in
the
crowded
primary
field.
Ramaswamy
has
garnered
attention
after
his
maiden
Republican
presidential
primary
debate
held
on
August
23.
The
first
poll
that
came
out
after
the
debate
said
that
28
per
cent
of
the
504
respondents
said
that
Ramaswamy
performed
the
best.
He
was
followed
by
Florida
Governor
Ron
DeSantis
with
27
per
cent,
and
former
vice
president
Mike
Pence
(13
per
cent).
Indian-American
Nikki
Haley
received
seven
per
cent
of
the
votes.
Indian
American
Presidential
Aspirant
Vivek
Ramaswamy
Pitches
For
Stronger
US-India
Relationship
According
to
Fox
News,
Ramaswamy
was
the
most
Google-searched
GOP
candidate
for
the
first
Republican
presidential
debate.
He
was
followed
by
fellow
Indian-American
Haley.
Following
the
debate,
The
Wall
Street
Journal
wrote
that
Ramaswamy
is
not
a
nobody
anymore
and
that
the
other
candidates
have
taken
notice
of
him.
Trump,
77,
described
Ramasawmay
as
being
a
“smart,”
“young
guy” and
a
“very
intelligent
person”
who
has
“a
lot
of
talent”
and
“good
energy.”
He
also
advised
him
to
be
“a
bit
more
careful”
with
what
he
says.
Story first published: Thursday, September 14, 2023, 13:07 [IST]
