DOGE says it has saved taxpayers $55 billion so far
By Morgan Sweeney
The Center Square
The Department of Government Efficiency – formerly known as the United States Digital Service under the Obama administration – led by billionaire Elon Musk has saved American taxpayers $55 billion, according to the latest update from the group.
Its "Wall of Receipts" on its new website (https://doge.gov/savings) catalogues where the department has made cuts and how much those cuts are worth. The biggest line item on ‘the wall’ is one from the Department of Homeland Security for $8 billion.
The U.S. Agency for International Development appears the most in DOGE’s records and so far, shows more than $6.5 billion slashed from its budget, according to the site, though it is still being updated. USAID and the Department of Education top DOGE's list for 'total contract savings' for government agencies. The DHS is sixth.
On Feb. 14, with a nod to Valentine’s Day, DOGE posted a rhyming update on social media platform X about its work.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, Today, DOGE and 10 agencies made 586 wasteful contracts bid adieu!”
The post went on to specifically mention an $8.2 million U.S. Department of Agriculture contract for “environmental compliance services for the implementation of pilot projects developed under the partnership for climate smart commodities”.
The department has also defunded various diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the government. The savings it has found are “a combination of fraud detection/deletion, contract/lease cancellations, contract/lease renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.”
DOGE, which replaced United States Digital Service by an executive order on President Donald Trump’s first day in office, is embroiled in controversy over whether it is surpassing the constitutional authority of the executive branch. There is also concern over Elon Musk’s role as a “special government employee” and conflicts of interest that may arise.
For now, though, the cuts keep rolling in.