The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on X that it has canceled 90 contracts with a ceiling value of $1.5 billion, resulting in $200 million in savings. These include a $911,000 NASA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) climate contract and a $4.6 million Health and Human Services (HHS) DEI contract.
According to the post, the agency initiated a targeted three-day review aimed at eliminating "wasteful contracts," underscoring a concerted effort to root out inefficiencies across multiple federal agencies. This move follows a series of contract termination waves, reflecting a broader strategy to audit and streamline federal spending. The initiative aligns with DOGE’s ongoing mission to enhance transparency through regular updates, often referred to as their "Wall of Receipts," which are publicly shared on their official website.
Internal figures from DOGE cite 90 terminated contracts with a combined ceiling value of $1.5 billion, purportedly translating into $200 million in taxpayer savings. These terminations are part of a pattern where DOGE highlights both ceiling values and claimed savings, although critiques point out that ceiling values often overstate actual expenditures. Notably, an NPR analysis found that more than half of the contracts listed by DOGE had not been fully terminated or closed, raising questions about verification of savings.
Among the terminated contracts are two high-profile DEI-linked agreements totaling approximately $5.5 million: a $911k NASA contract for "integrating earth observations toward advancing equitable resilience to geo-hazards in a changing climate," and a $4.6 million HHS contract for "essentials in equity" focused on "innovative modeling and policy analysis interactive tools." The inclusion of these contracts signals DOGE’s intensifying emphasis on DEI and climate-related spending as targets during efficiency audits. However, media outlets such as South Shore Press flagged skepticism around the necessity and impact of these DEI provisions, noting questions remain over whether they enhanced agency function.
DOGE is described as a federal agency focused on optimizing government spending, reducing waste, and ensuring accountability in contract management according to X. By reviewing expenditures and canceling non-essential contracts, DOGE aims to improve fiscal responsibility and enhance the effectiveness of public resource allocation.
