The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced a savings of $148 million through its collaboration with Secretary Brooke Rollins and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This financial reprieve was achieved by terminating grants deemed wasteful, including those for urban forestry and environmental justice. The announcement was made on the social media platform X.
According to DOGE's official post on X, the review and termination of select federal grants are part of a broader government initiative aimed at increasing fiscal responsibility and prioritizing high-impact spending. The department said that it worked directly with Secretary Rollins and the USDA to audit programs identified as having limited measurable results or redundancy. The agency emphasized that this targeted review process was designed to maximize taxpayer value by discontinuing grants not aligned with current federal priorities for measurable outcomes and essential services.
DOGE reported that the $148 million in savings resulted from canceling grants considered wasteful, including a $500,000 grant intended for "urban forestry to lead to environmental justice through more equitably distributed green spaces and a more diverse green movement." The agency’s public post detailed that these cuts were part of a larger review to identify grant programs that do not directly support core agency missions. Further details were released in an X thread, ensuring public accountability and transparency for each specific grant affected.
The agency also terminated a $174,000 grant intended to "empower youth of color to meaningfully connect with and build resilience to climate and environmental justice issues." According to the USDA newsroom, these grant reviews are now conducted under new federal fiscal management standards requiring programs to be justified by outcomes and operational necessity. These standards represent a shift toward more evidence-based and results-driven allocation of government funding.
DOGE is described as a federal agency focused on optimizing government spending, reducing waste, and ensuring accountability in contract management. By reviewing expenditures and canceling non-essential contracts, DOGE aims to improve fiscal responsibility and enhance the effectiveness of public resource allocation.
