(DOGE) Initiative Focuses on Streamlining Government Operations

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is taking steps to streamline government operations and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. Recent activities reported by DOGE highlight a focus on cutting unnecessary spending and improving efficiency across various agencies.

Key Initiatives and Findings:

Contract Cancellations: DOGE has been actively involved in cancelling contracts deemed wasteful or unnecessary. Examples include:
- Cancellations of non-essential contracts with a ceiling value of approximately $205M, resulting in savings of $90M.
- A $10.3M contract at the USDA for identifying unnecessary contracts was cancelled.
- 247 cancellations of wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of ~$999M and savings of ~$390M.
- A $3.5M Department of VA consulting contract for outsourced “enterprise mail management program support services” was cancelled because the agency determined it could be handled internally.
Grant Reviews and Cancellations: DOGE is also reviewing and cancelling grants. Examples include:
- The Inter-American Foundation, an agency focused on foreign grants, has been reduced to its statutory minimum.
- Grants for alpaca farming in Peru ($903,811) and other projects have been cancelled.
- A $600,000 grant to study “menstrual cycles in transgender men” was cancelled.
- NIH grants for transgender experiments on animals have been cancelled.
- The Department of Education terminated 18 grants for $226mm to Comprehensive Centers, which provided consulting services with a large focus on DEI.
- In the last 48 hours, the Department of Education terminated 70 DEI training grants totaling $373M.
Software License Audits: DOGE is conducting audits of software licenses across various agencies. These audits have revealed that agencies often have more software licenses than employees and that licenses are frequently idle.
Credit Card Audits: DOGE has initiated pilot programs to audit unused/unneeded credit cards across agencies. These audits have resulted in the deactivation of thousands of cards.
Addressing Improper Payments: DOGE is working to address improper payments, including those related to Social Security and Medicare.
Real Estate Efficiency: DOGE is focused on reducing costs associated with vacant or underutilized buildings by cancelling leases.
Technology Modernization: DOGE is involved in efforts to modernize technology and improve IT spending efficiency.

Focus on DEI:

DOGE has been involved in the cancellation of various contracts and grants related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Website and Transparency:

DOGE emphasizes transparency by including project Statements of Work (SoW) and Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) entries. , these developments underscore the importance of vigilance and reform in our rapidly evolving digital age.

DOGE has launched a website to provide information on its activities, including X feed posts, a consolidated government org chart, and a summary of regulations.