DOGE staff downsizing following Musk’s warning to federal employees
The concern surrounding Elon Musk’s email, urging governmental employees to justify their roles or face termination, has deepened after he mentioned they had “another opportunity” to respond.
President Donald Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency is sparking significant discussion with its latest budget-slashing proposals.
The department, commonly known as DOGE, has also garnered support after Elon Musk and Trump suggested utilizing some of its budget cuts to provide stimulus checks to American taxpayers and reduce the national debt.
However, DOGE would need to eliminate $2 trillion in federal spending to feasibly issue the proposed dividends to citizens. Is that even achievable?
Here’s what you need to understand about the savings DOGE has achieved, how those savings were made, and the challenges that have arisen in recent weeks.
What is the total savings by DOGE so far?
As of March 2, the department reports that it has saved $105 billion through various means including fraud detection and cancellation of contracts.
The DOGE website purports to provide evidence of its budget-cutting measures, yet most entries refer to contracts terminated across multiple federal agencies.
Reports from USA TODAY have uncovered significant inconsistencies in the savings claimed by DOGE. For instance, it asserted a savings of $881 million from canceling contracts with the Education Department, while the actual value was closer to $676 million. Another claim of $8 billion in savings was actually only $8 million.
What does this mean for each taxpayer?
The DOGE savings tracker also outlines the beneficial savings per taxpayer, claiming $652.17 saved per individual as of March 2.
Discussions have also surfaced regarding deploying some of the savings for direct stimulus payments to the populace.
Trump has indicated this idea, stating that he and his advisors are contemplating allocating 20% of savings for debt reduction and another 20% as direct payments to citizens.
However, individuals should not anticipate immediate transfers or checks arriving. The DOGE stimulus proposition remains purely conceptual. Congress would need to sanction the proposal before any stimulus payment could be processed by the federal government.
Moreover, to render the stimulus checks a reality, the department would need to achieve $2 trillion in savings—something Musk has previously deemed potentially unfeasible. Even if achievable, funding such payments may take more time than expected.
What actions has DOGE taken?
The DOGE website claims to provide documentation of its budget-cutting initiatives, but most entries involve contract cancellations at various federal departments and agencies.
Over 10,000 federal employees have been terminated, with further reductions anticipated. A recent executive directive instructs federal department heads to implement “large-scale workforce reductions.”
This has primarily impacted probationary and recently hired employees.
DOGE’s measures have provoked confusion and some missteps. For instance, the administration reversed the firings of hundreds at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is tasked with overseeing nuclear arsenals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has acknowledged its efforts to rehire several terminated employees vital for its response to avian flu.
The layoffs, encompassing workers from USAID, the Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service, National Park Service, and Department of Education, have led to legal challenges, protests, and other forms of opposition.
Furthermore, there has been significant concern surrounding the data access rights DOGE is granted. Agencies like the Department of Education and the Treasury Department have attempted to limit DOGE’s access due to the sensitivity of certain data.
DOGE is also pursuing access to IRS data that contains comprehensive taxpayer information, enabling employees to examine accounts, request returns, execute transactions, and produce “notices, collection documents, and other outputs,” according to the IRS.
Musk has advocated for reducing worker inefficiencies by mandating federal employees to email a summary of their weekly achievements. However, this has met with backlash from various agencies and their staff.
