TAMPA, Fla. — Expect a Mitt Romney administration to take a serious look at cutting agencies or cabinet departments within the federal government, his chief policy aide told The Daily Caller on Monday, but don’t expect the Republican presidential nominee to get specific before election day on exactly what offices might get the ax.
In a brief interview after an event hosted by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at the Republican National Committee, Romney’s policy director Lahnee Chen explained the reason for this is that the Republican presidential candidate doesn’t want to “prejudge things before you get in there.”
“A large part of that process is sorted out when the president works with Congress to figure out what can be done,” Chen told TheDC.
“More important than the specifics in my mind is the orientation of the candidate. How are they going approach the question like cutting spending? So from Governor Romney’s perspective, he sort of looks at things and thinks about, ‘Is this a program we really need, is there a way we can be implementing this program more effectively?”
“I think that approach is much more important than lets say this specific agency or lets say this specific program,” he said.
While Chen wouldn’t name specific agencies or departments that Romney would consider, he pointed out that Romney has cited numerous specific programs he “would like to see changed.”
“Medicaid is a good example of that,” he said. “He’s talked about getting rid of Obamacare. He talks about reducing public subsidies for things like Amtrak.”
Added Chen: “I think he would look at agencies and programs and think about how you can consolidate and make things more effective.”
Chen gave a policy presentation to delegates at the Hyatt Regency Downtown gathered for “Newt University,” a daily policy seminar being held every day at the convention by the former House Speaker.
The sessions, sponsored by the Republican National Convention, are billed as an opportunity for delegates to hear from the former Republican presidential candidate and former college professor to “examine the convention’s daily themes in greater detail and give delegates an opportunity to dive deeper into those issues.”