President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has eliminated 312 wasteful government contracts in just one week, saving American taxpayers a staggering $470 million as part of a larger initiative that has already cut $180 billion in government waste.
Key Takeaways
- The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated 312 wasteful contracts with a $2.8 billion ceiling value, saving taxpayers $470 million in just seven days.
- Notable canceled contracts include a $286,000 Department of Defense entrepreneurship course at Harvard and a $485,000 USAID advisor position in Madagascar.
- Since its inception, DOGE has saved American taxpayers approximately $180 billion, equating to $1,118 per taxpayer.
- The Trump administration has targeted particularly egregious wastes including a $620,000 teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys and a $10 million “decolonization” curriculum initiative.
- DOGE’s efficiency initiatives are being codified through legislation to ensure lasting fiscal responsibility in government.
Massive Government Waste Eliminated in One Week
“Over the past seven days, various government agencies have terminated 312 ‘wasteful contracts’ with a ceiling value of $2.8 billion, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said in a June 26 post on the social media platform X,” said Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
The sweeping cuts targeted contracts across numerous departments that were providing minimal value to American citizens while draining the federal budget. Among the most notable terminated contracts were a $286,000 Department of Defense management development contract at Harvard Business School and a $485,000 USAID contract for a senior advisor position in Madagascar. These examples highlight the types of wasteful spending that have plagued federal agencies for decades, diverting funds from essential services and contributing to the bloated national debt that threatens America’s economic future.
Billions in Taxpayer Savings Already Achieved
The Trump administration’s focus on government efficiency has produced remarkable results in a short time. DOGE has already saved an estimated $180 billion in unnecessary government spending as of June 3, which translates to approximately $1,118 in savings for each American taxpayer. These savings have been achieved through multiple avenues, including contract and lease cancellations, renegotiations of existing agreements, grant cancellations, elimination of fraudulent payments, strategic asset sales, and appropriate workforce reductions at bloated agencies.
Leading the charge in budget-saving measures are several key departments including Health and Human Services, State Department, Defense Department, General Services Administration, and the Department of Education. Major cost-cutting initiatives have included canceling a $2.9 billion refugee resettlement program, eliminating a $1.9 billion Treasury technology program that wasn’t delivering results, and stopping a $1.7 billion USAID grant program that lacked proper oversight and measurable outcomes. These decisive actions demonstrate President Trump’s commitment to treating taxpayer dollars with the respect they deserve.
Targeting Ideological Waste
Beyond the purely financial aspects of government waste, DOGE has also targeted what it describes as some of the “strangest, most baffling uses” of taxpayer funds. Among these were a $620,000 program for teen pregnancy prevention targeted at transgender boys—a program that defies basic biological reality—and a $10 million initiative aimed at “decolonizing” educational curriculum, which many conservatives view as an attempt to inject divisive ideological content into schools rather than focusing on educational fundamentals.
“On May 30, Musk and President Donald Trump appeared at the Oval Office, with the president crediting the entrepreneur for bringing ‘a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington,'” said President Donald Trump.
Making Fiscal Responsibility Permanent
Following Elon Musk’s successful 130-day leadership of DOGE, Amy Gleason has taken the helm to continue the important work of government efficiency. To ensure these cost-saving measures become permanent rather than temporary, the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency recently held hearings advocating for the codification of DOGE’s spending cuts. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene emphasized the importance of institutionalizing the fight against waste, fraud, and abuse to “lock in” these savings for future generations of American taxpayers.
David Burton from The Heritage Foundation noted during testimony that achieving true “fiscal sanity” will require Congressional action to make these cuts permanent. In a promising step toward that goal, the House has already passed HR 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, which codifies some of DOGE’s most important cuts. This legislation now awaits Senate approval and the President’s signature, which would cement Trump’s legacy of transforming government from a wasteful bureaucracy into a more efficient operation that respects the hard-earned dollars of American taxpayers.
