The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been reported by the White House to have saved the government over $3.4 billion so far. A significant portion of these savings came from cuts to the Department of Education’s budget.
According to the latest data provided by the White House on Tuesday, including $59 million spent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to house undocumented immigrants in New York City hotels, efforts are being made to recover these funds.
The list of cuts also includes over 100 various diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) contracts and appropriations, many of which belonged to the Department of Education and other DEI actions considered contrary to the new government’s priorities. President Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office to end DEI programs within federal agencies.
This included establishing a $45 million DEI scholarship fund in Myanmar. The White House also stated that they saved $500,000 by canceling Politico Pro subscriptions and cutting funding to The New York Times and the Associated Press.
Within weeks of its establishment, DOGE further expanded significant savings by canceling lease and consulting contracts.
The temporary administrative committee has been promoting investigation results and actions approved by the President on X platform, a social media platform owned by DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Musk had supported Trump before the November 2024 election. Prior to Election Day, Trump promoted the prospects of DOGE, stating that Musk would lead the organization to drive government reform.
On February 11th, Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office to grant further powers to DOGE. The order aims to advance the “Workforce Optimization Initiative” within DOGE. Trump stated that the initiative would encourage agencies to limit hiring and significantly reduce the size of the federal government.
In a conversation with reporters, Musk defended DOGE’s work. He stated that he aimed for “common-sense control” over federal bureaucratic agencies.
“People’s votes demand significant reforms from the government, and this is what the people are entitled to,” Musk said. “This is the essence of democracy.”
However, DOGE’s actions have faced strong opposition from Congressional Democrats and progressive groups, leading to increasing litigation.
In a lawsuit related to DOGE accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system, Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a court order on February 8th temporarily prohibiting DOGE employees from accessing the data and requiring them to destroy any potentially acquired information.
The Department of Justice has questioned this order, believing it imposes overly broad restrictions that may hinder DOGE’s normal operations. The Department has requested the court to lift the restrictions to allow DOGE to access the Treasury Department’s payment system under appropriate supervision to fulfill its duties.
Currently, the court has not ruled on the Department of Justice’s application. A hearing is scheduled for February 14th, 2025, where further progress may occur.
Facing the Department of Justice’s inquiries, Judge Jeannette Vargas upheld the injunction against DOGE employees on Tuesday but emphasized that this injunction does not prevent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from accessing his department’s data. However, it is not yet clear whether the Treasury Secretary can transfer the data he accesses to DOGE.
Vargas will preside over a hearing on the DOGE case on Friday, February 14th.
On Tuesday, Trump questioned Engelmayer’s order in the Oval Office, asking, “How could a judge stop us from uncovering these fraudulent activities, finding these derelictions of duty?”