What Does the Addition of DOGE Mean for the Future of Government Agencies?

Art by Emme Poole '26

The official announcement about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, came just a week after Election Day in November of 2024 and was established by the first day of President Trump’s second presidency, January 21.

According to “BBC,” DOGE’s stated goal is to promote efficiency across federal agencies and reduce wasteful government spending.

President Trump stated, “The Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of government.” To date, DOGE’s focus has been on a reduction to the national federal workforce that consists of 2,4000,000 federal employees.

As of February 28th, “USA Today” estimates that over 100,000 federal employees have lost their jobs due to DOGE. According to “CNN,” over 80% of federal employees live in the DC

metropolitan area, so the issue is close to the Holton-Arms community.

Melissa Dennis, mother of Francesca Dennis ’26, has worked in federal civil services for over 20 years. She has served under five Presidential administrations regardless of political party. Like many other federal employees, she feels professional uncertainty.

Dennis stated, “Of 23 lawyers in my immediate office, about half are double-federal families, which has caused increased stress at home. So far, probationary employees and the head of one of our agency’s divisions have been fired. We have been instructed by DOGE to look at ways to further reduce the number of employees and reorganize our agency.”

Because today’s job market is over-saturated, fired federal employees will likely face challenges acquiring new jobs. CNBC predicts that “federal workers may struggle financially. Local economies such as Washington, D.C., may suffer a recession, though the impact on the broader U.S. economy may be minimal.”

While Musk and DOGE’s priority of reducing unnecessary government spending has a clear focus, Advanced Topics in U.S. Government teacher Dr. Louisa Nill noted that “it is unclear whether the Department can create significant change considering that its recommendations ultimately depend on congressional approval.”

On February 19th, DOGE posted its “Wall of Receipts,” an account of all the money it claims it has saved for the U.S. government. In this account, DOGE mentioned canceling new subscriptions, real estate contracts and DEI programs.

In total, DOGE identified responsibility for over $55 billion in government savings. However, according to “NPR,” a closer inspection of DOGE’s website revealed that the savings from all of the implemented programs summed to $16 billion.

According to “FOX,” Musk stated, “I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud, and so far we’re making good progress, actually. Our savings at this

point exceed $4 billion a day, so it’s very significant.”

Kate Rudge ’26 commented, “It isinteresting to see how fast DOGE is working to become

involved in other government agencies.”

While the department can identify inefficiencies and suggest cuts, Congress possesses the ultimate power to decide where and how federal funds are spent. Thus, Congress’ actions could slow down the process of enacting DOGE’s recommendations.

In the coming weeks, Americans will be watching DOGE’s actions carefully. Musk said, “The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get. They’re going to get what they voted for.”