DOGE Wasted Tens of Billions While Chainsawing the Government in the Name of 'Efficiency': Senate Report

[cbabe]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/doge-wasted-tens-of-billions

DOGE Wasted Tens of Billions While Chainsawing the Government in the Name of 'Efficiency': Senate Report

A new report found that in just six months, Elon Musk's cost-cutting agency wasted more than $21 billion. Other estimates have found that the cuts will cost more than they save in the long run.

STEPHEN PRAGER
Jul 31, 2025

…

Musk is already known to have wildly exaggerated the amount that his initiative was saving the public. Government spending in 2025 has been higher than previous years despite Musk's dramatic cuts.

Meanwhile, some analyses after the fact have estimated that the initiatives might actually cost taxpayers money in the long run by slashing funds for tax collection and other forms of spending that increase economic activity.

The staff report released by the office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.)—the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI)—only focuses on waste by DOGE that can be quantified in the here-and-now. It finds that in just six months of operation, DOGE wasted more than $21 billion.

This comes at "the very same time," Blumenthal said, that "the Trump administration is cutting healthcare, nutrition assistance, and emergency services in the name of 'efficiency' and 'savings,'" via the recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which itself is projected to add $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years. Blumenthal said his investigation shows that "DOGE was clearly never about efficiency or saving the American taxpayer money."

… more …

(Running our government like a bankrupt t business.)

[Blue Owl]

1. To billionaires, money is disposable

And most of them are so selfish and greed-driven, they don't think for one minute what that disposed money could do if it were channelled to those in need. It's like when tRump burned those hundreds of tons of food instead of just donating it or putting it to good use -- if it doesn't affect him personally, he don't care one bit.

And why anyone would want someone like that in a leadership position is beyond me....

[cbabe]

2. Undeserving poor don't need a tax paid handout. Welfare cheat redux.

Second tier: musk hates usaid as it was instrumental in bringing down apartheid.

[maxsolomon]

3. "Efficiency" is the excuse.

Tearing the Federal Govt apart, smashing it so it can't be fixed, was the purpose.

The cost is irrelevant.

[hay rick]

4. Cost-cutting was the cover story.

Sabotaging or repurposing agencies was a real goal. Rustling government contracts was another.

[nature-lover]

5. It was about disruption and data harvesting