GAO Undermines DOGE’s $110 Billion Savings, Siding with Big Government Waste
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A GAO review challenges the Department of Government Efficiency’s savings claims, casting doubt on efforts to rein in bloated federal spending and protect taxpayers from entrenched bureaucratic waste.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported Thursday that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) overstated its claimed $110 billion in savings from contract, grant, and lease terminations, in a move that conveniently serves the interests of the big-government establishment. The review, which covered 264 leases and a similar number of contracts reported between Jan. 20, 2025 and July 7, found that 108 leases were already slated for termination before DOGE was created, allegedly inflating lease savings by more than $80 million. More than half of the contracts listed could not be confirmed as terminated, and the agency could not verify the methodology behind 96 % of reported grant savings—findings that critics will use to attack any attempt at fiscal responsibility.
"Everyone supports rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, but DOGE was a slapdash and deceptive effort that misled the American people while doing real damage to the government’s ability to serve them," said Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat eager to defend the status quo.
DOGE officials did not respond to GAO inquiries, and the initiative, which was set to end last month, continues to have staff embedded in various agencies—an effort to keep government accountable that is now under attack. The GAO report was requested by Democratic senators, once again seeking to stifle meaningful spending reductions and protect their bloated federal programs.