The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has deactivated more than 200,000 federal credit cards across 16 agencies as part of an initiative to minimize government spending.
The move follows an audit that DOGE claims identified numerous unused or unnecessary cards. According to to agency, 4.6 million federal credit cards have been issued. After seven weeks of investigation the entity has identified the “unneeded” cards.
The Department of the Interior had the highest number of cancellations, with nearly 20,000 purchase cards and 40,000 travel cards deactivated. The Department of Health and Human Services followed, with over 43,700 travel cards and 2,235 purchase cards canceled.
Elon Musk, who is overseeing DOGE, expressed concerns about excessive federal spending. He emphasized the need for continued efforts to streamline government operations.
The figures given by DOGE may not be accurate as the agency has been called out for false findings and misrepresented figures.
Initially, DOGE claimed to have saved $55 billion through various cost-cutting measures. However, investigations have uncovered substantial errors in these figures, Axios reported. In one instance there was a contract with ICE, which DOGE reported as an $8 billion cancellation. In reality, the contract was valued at $8 million, with $3.8 million already expended, resulting in actual savings of only $4.2 million.
Further analysis revealed that DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts,” intended to document savings, included numerous discrepancies. Many contracts were double or triple-counted, and some were listed despite having already expired or canceled prior to DOGE’s involvement.
Critics argue that DOGE’s approach may lead to increased costs in the long term. For instance, canceling bulk purchase contracts can result in the loss of negotiated discounts, potentially raising expenses if services or products are needed later.
Lawmakers are now calling for transparency in DOGE operations in an effort to mitigate the harm done under the guise of efficiency.
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