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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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Over the past three days, multiple government agencies have cut 121 contracts worth $350 million, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Among the canceled agreements was a $1.6 million contract related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which focused on strategies for implementing "social emotional" learning. Another notable cancellation included a $143,000 contract from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for "social media support services."
A DOT spokesperson told Newsweek that the contract was designated for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and covered graphics development, social media content creation, and monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on social media activity.
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"The Department of Transportation is working closely with DOGE to use every tool at our disposal to cut waste, fraud, and abuse while simultaneously investing in our core mission of safety, finding new efficiencies, and unleashing a wave of innovation," the spokesperson said.
Why It Matters
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening DOGE, which is run by billionaire Elon Musk, claimed that canceling the contracts has saved the federal government $156 million.
Since beginning his second term, President Donald Trump has implemented a series of spending cuts across various federal departments in an effort to drastically downsize the federal government.
Just this week, 69 programs that combat child labor and forced labor abroad were axed by the Department of Labor. In a post on X, DOGE said the cuts would yield $237 million in savings.
How Many Jobs Has DOGE Cut So Far?
Tens of thousands of job losses have been announced across numerous federal agencies.
On Friday, the Trump administration informed Congress that it plans to eliminate nearly all the remaining positions at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after a federal appeals court cleared the way for DOGE to resume its efforts to gut the agency. USAID cannot be dissolved without congressional approval.
"Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders, and strengthen our partnerships with key allies," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high."
Beginning July 1, the State Department will be responsible for administering what's left of USAID's programs, though it remains unclear which ones.
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will eliminate 10,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan.
The majority of the cuts will come from public health agencies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will lose about 3,500 workers, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will cut about 2,400 positions, and the National Institutes for Health (NIH) will lose 1,200 workers.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to eliminate its scientific research office and could fire more than 1,000 scientists and other employees, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to lose about 18,000 employees—about 20 percent of its workforce. Meanwhile, then-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who announced his resignation on Monday, told Congress that 10,000 workers at the United States Postal Service (USPS) would be cut within a month.
The Department of Education (ED) has announced plans to lay off more than 1,300 employees, while the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning a reorganization that includes cutting 80,000 jobs, according to an internal memo obtained by the AP this month.
The Pentagon reportedly plans to cut its civilian workforce by about 50,000 to 60,000 people.
At least 24,000 probationary workers have been terminated since Trump took office, according to a lawsuit filed by nearly 20 states alleging the mass firings are illegal. Earlier this month, two federal judges ordered 19 federal agencies to reinstate fired probationary workers.
Meanwhile, about 75,000 federal workers accepted the offer to quit in return for receiving pay and benefits until September 30.
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How Much Spending Has DOGE Cut So Far?
DOGE has said its efforts have saved the federal government an estimated $130 billion as of March 24—just a tiny fraction of Musk's $1 trillion cost-cutting goal by the end of May.
DOGE says the receipts provided on its website—showing contract, grant, and lease cancellations—represent about 30 percent of total savings, meaning the top-line figure is not yet verifiable.
According to the Musk Watch DOGE Tracker designed by data analyst Brian Banks, the verifiable savings were about $7.7 billion as of March 25, including actual savings from contracts and real estate. The tracker says grants are unlabeled and cannot be verified.
Is DOGE a Government Agency?
Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office on January 20, officially creating DOGE to modernize "federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity."
Despite its name, it is not a government agency created by an Act of Congress but a task force that targets waste and fraud in the federal government.
Update 4/1/25, 6:37 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a comment from the Department of Transportation.
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