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US News

Vivek Ramaswamy vows to fire federal workers based on Social Security numbers: ‘Nothing will break’

By
Melissa Koenig
Published Nov. 13, 2023, 3:27 p.m. ET

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy unveiled his plan to drastically cut the the size of the federal government over the weekend — announcing he would fire workers based on their Social Security numbers.

In a post on X Sunday, Ramaswamy said that if he were elected the next commander-in-chief of the United States, he would “instantly fire 50% of federal bureaucrats.”

“Here’s how: if your [Social Security number] ends in an odd number, you’re fired,” he wrote.

“That downsizes government by half. Absolutely *nothing* will break as a result,” Ramaswamy claimed.

The 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur argued that the plan would not violate civil service rules “because mass layoffs are exempt” and would prevent government employees from claiming their firings were politically motivated.

“Further firings can be executed with a chisel, but Step 1 needs to be an unrestrained chainsaw or else it just won’t happen,” Ramaswamy argued.

Ramaswamy
Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy said that if he were elected the next commander-in-chief of the United States, he would fire 50% of federal bureaucrats. Getty Images

The contender later claimed that the reason former President Donald Trump was unable to cut the size of the federal government was because of civil service protections.

“He’d have faced millions of discrimination and political retribution claims — and be stuck in court forever,” Ramaswamy said.

“Here’s the solution: randomness. Non-discretionary firings are legally defensible and avoid civil service rules.”

Businessman entering financial building
Ramaswamy argued that the plan would not violate civil service rules because mass layoffs are exempt. Getty Images

The presidential hopeful has campaigned on a platform of cutting the size of the federal government, promising in September he would fire more than 75% of the federal workforce and shutter several major agencies — including the Department of Education, the FBI, the Nuclear Regulation Commission and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“We will use executive authority to shut down the deep state,” Ramaswamy told supporters at the America First Policy Institute, according to the New York Times.

About 2.25 million people work for the federal government in civilian roles, and cutting more than 75% of that total would result in more than 1.6 million people being fired.

Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office has said nearly 60% of federal civilian workers are employed by the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security — all agencies that Ramaswamy has not vowed to cut.