Following the exit of DOGE lead Elon Musk in May, the organization is still actively integrated across agencies to help reduce waste, fraud and abuse, Liz Huston, assistant press secretary for the White House, confirmed with Becker’s on Nov. 24.
DOGE was created in January 2025 with an 18-month agenda, expected to end on July 4, 2026. DOGE claims to have saved $214 billion through its reductions, according to its website that was updated on Oct. 4. These savings have not been independently verified, USA Today reported Nov. 24.
“President Trump was given a clear mandate to reduce waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government, and he continues to actively deliver on that commitment,” Ms. Huston said.
For healthcare agencies, DOGE’s work has driven contract cuts, workforce reductions and funding changes in recent months, with many leaders worried these reductions could hurt research and public-health operations.
Five notes on where DOGE stands:
1. Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, said in a Nov. 23 X post that while DOGE might not have centralized leadership under the U.S. DOGE Service, its principles “remain alive and well: de-regulation; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; re-shaping the federal workforce; making efficiency a first-class citizen; etc.”
2. In a Nov. 23 X post, DOGE said it had ended or downsized 78 “wasteful contracts” over the last nine days. The cuts covered $1.9 billion in contract value and saw $335 million in savings. Of the canceled agreements, $616,000 was related to an HHS social-media monitoring subscription.
3. In October, more DOGE X posts revealed it terminated a $5.2 million HHS contract for “professional support services in South Africa,” a $5.8 million HHS training contract for “organizational development, executive coaching and leadership training,” and a $61 million HHS research contract for “solutions to support innovation in pursuit of affordable and better healthcare.”
4. Since its inception, more than two dozen lawsuits have been brought against DOGE regarding issues like data access and layoffs, according to a New York Times tool that tracks lawsuits filed against the Trump administration. Former HHS employees filed a lawsuit in June against Mr. Musk and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and alleged the decision to fire 10,000 workers was based on faulty data and violated the Privacy Act, a 1974 law that governs how federal agencies must collect, store, use and share individuals’ personal information. In early April, Mr. Kennedy acknowledged mistakes were made when firing the staff, and suggested that around 20% could get their jobs back. Becker’s has followed up with Ms. Huston for an update here.
5. In May, Mr. Musk exited his role as a special government employee and head of DOGE. Special government employees are limited to 130 days to perform their duties, according to the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority website. CBS News also reported that Mr. Musk began his White House offboarding process on May 28, marking the 128th day from DOGE’s inception.
“As my scheduled time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President [Donald Trump] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Mr. Musk said in a May 28 X post. “The [DOGE] mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
