Mamdani takes a page from Elon Musk's DOGE, launches new initiative; all we know about COGE

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a new Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE.

Published on: Jun 1, 2026, 13:32:44 IST

By Sumanti Sen

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has taken a page from the DOGE playbook, announcing a new Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE. Mamdani explained COGE’s functions in an X post.

Mamdani takes a page from Elon Musk's DOGE, launches new initiative; all we know about COGE (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz) (REUTERS)

“This morning we are introducing COGE — the Commission on Government Efficiency.  This Commission will find ways for our city to work smarter, faster, and more effectively for working people. New Yorkers deserve a city government as careful with their money as they are,” Mamdani wrote.

“COGE will hold hearings in every borough and meet with union members, community organizers, and working people who will shape how we build a more responsive and accountable government. The future of this city will be built by all of us, together,” he added in a follow-up post.

COGE will be chaired by Patrick Gaspard, according to the Independent. He previously worked as executive director of the Democratic National Committee and served as a close aide to former President Barack Obama.

The first public hearing for the new initiative will be held on June 9, according to CBS News.

What happened to DOGE?

The new initiative sounds similar to the Elon-Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, created shortly after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The administration said it aimed to slash government waste, but was accused of cutting the federal workforce and dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, a congressionally authorized agency.

According to NBC News, over 300,000 federal workers and contractors were ousted during the DOGE cuts.

DOGE turned out to be highly unpopular. 47 percent of voters thought the initiative was cutting too much, a poll from The Center Square released in April 2025 revealed. Musk had a net approval rating of 35 percent in a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll back at the time.

The survey showed that 46 percent of Americans strongly disapproved of the way Musk was handling his job in the Trump administration, while another 10 percent somewhat disapproved.

However, Musk left the Trump administration in May 2025. In November. DOGE disbanded, eight months before the initiative was supposed to end.

"That doesn't exist," Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters at the time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.