DOGE’s Sixth Week: Precision Cuts and Transparency Push—What It Means for You

INSIGHTS FROM @DOGE ON X FOR THOSE FEELING FEARFUL AND UNCERTAIN

Week 6 of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from February 24 to March 2, 2025, shows Elon Musk’s team refining their efficiency drive with thoughtful cuts, software audits, and a stronger push for transparency. Shared on X via @DOGE, these updates might catch your attention if you care about how government dollars are spent or worry about the pace of change. This article, backdated to March 3, 2025, walks you through the full week, straight from their posts. If you’re uneasy about big shifts, I am here, writing in Austin, Texas, to break it down and keep you in the loop.

FEBRUARY 24, 2025 – DAY 36: SOFTWARE LICENSE EFFICIENCY

What Happened: DOGE highlighted inefficiencies in agency software licenses, focusing on GSA’s over-purchasing.

“Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer). For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are: – 37,000 WinZip licenses – 19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple parallel training software platforms) – 7,500 project management software seats for a division with 5,500 employees – 3 different ticketing systems running in parallel Fixes are actively in work.” (DOGE X post)

What It Means for You: Seeing thousands of unused software licenses at GSA might feel like a waste—your tax dollars paying for what’s not used. But DOGE is already on it, fixing this, which could free up funds for things you care about, like schools or health clinics. It’s a practical step, and their transparency keeps you in the loop.

FEBRUARY 25, 2025 – DAY 37: EFFICIENCY ACROSS SOFTWARE, LEASES, AND INTERNATIONAL CUTS

What Happened: DOGE advanced their efficiency audits, ended some leases, canceled international contracts, launched a leaderboard, and uploaded contract terminations, while inviting public input.

“This audit was repeated at the Department of Labor. Initial results: – 380 Microsoft 365 licenses with zero users – 128 Microsoft Teams conference room licenses; only installed in 30 rooms – 250 VSCode licenses; only using 33 – 129 Photoshop licenses; only using 22. – 5 cybersecurity licenses, each with > 20k seats; DOL headcount is < 15k.” (DOGE X post, quoting the February 24 post)
“Today, @DOGE_EPA canceled 10 environmental research grants totaling $85M, focusing on low-impact studies. Full details at [doge.gov/transparency]. We’re listening—send tips to [doge.gov/tips].” (DOGE X post)
“Today, the Federal Government exceeded $100M in annual rent savings through cancellations of 250+ vacant/underutilized leases totaling 3M+ square feet. With ~7,250 current leases, there is plenty of available office space for the current workforce.” (DOGE X post)
“Introducing the Agency Efficiency Leaderboard. The competition is on! Also did another contract upload, with more than 2,200 contract terminations now listed on the site. Working on the best way to provide grant termination receipts. https://doge.gov/savings” (DOGE X post)
“US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled: $69mm for the Eurasia Foundation to do ‘digital transformation activity’ in Europe -$32mm to Internews for programs including ‘media enabling democracy, inclusion, and accountability in Moldova’ and the promotion of ‘sustainable media outlets’ -$7mm for the American Bar Association to promote the ‘resilience’ of the ‘Eurasian legal sector and civic society’ -$520mm for a consultant to do ESG investments in Africa and ‘mobilize private sector resources and expertise’ -$25mm to ‘promote biodiversity conservation and promote licit livelihoods’ by developing ‘socially responsible’ behaviors in Colombia -$40mm to ‘improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants’ -$42mm for Johns Hopkins to research and drive ‘social and behavior change’ in Uganda -$45mm to ‘address[] the needs, opportunities, and challenges identified by activists and other civic actors engaged in nonviolent collective action’ -$52mm for the World Economic Forum” (DOGE X post)

How to See It: Finding hundreds of unused licenses at the Department of Labor, like 380 Microsoft 365 seats with zero users, shows DOGE’s ability to dig deep to save money—those savings could bolster community programs you care about. Pair that with $85M in EPA research cuts targeting low-impact studies, $100M in rent savings from unused leases, and over $800M in canceled international contracts, and it’s about focusing resources where they count.

The Agency Efficiency Leaderboard and 2,200+ contract terminations on doge.gov add a competitive edge, while DOGE’s tip line invites your ideas, giving you a voice in this process.

FEBRUARY 26, 2025 – DAY 38: VA, HHS, AND LEASE CUTS

Empty Pecos facility, a vast room standing unused, symbolizing savings for taxpayers.

What Happened: DOGE highlighted major savings at the VA and HHS, expanded lease cancellations, and updated on credit card audits, praising their focus on redirecting funds to core services.

“Great job by @SecVetAffairs @DeptVetAffairs This included cancelling a $3M contract for ‘organizational culture training’ to instruct VA leadership on what culture and values they should have.” (DOGE X post, quoting VA Secretary Doug Collins: “We found nearly $2 billion in @DeptVetAffairs contracts that we’ll be canceling so we can redirect the funds back to Veterans health care and benefits. No more paying consultants to do things like make Power Point slides and write meeting minutes!”)
“A former ICE employee and Biden transition team member joined Family Endeavors in early 2021 and helped secure a sole-source HHS contract for overflow housing from licensed care facilities. As a result, Family Endeavors’ cash and portfolio of investments grew from $8.3M in 2020 to $520.4M in 2023. Since March 2024, HHS has paid ~$18M/month to keep the Pecos facility open despite sitting empty. With national licensed facility occupancy now below 20%, HHS was able to terminate this contract, saving taxpayers over $215M annually.” (DOGE X post)
“Agreed! Today, lease cancellations on vacant/underutilized buildings are up from ~257 to ~440, with annual rent savings increasing from ~$100M to ~$171M. Still plenty of available office space for the current workforce.” (DOGE X post, quoting Elon Musk: “Still way too many leases on unused buildings.”)
“Credit Card Update! Pilot program across 14 civilian agencies to audit unused/unneeded ‘P-cards’ (~700K accounts with ~$30B of spend in FY24). After 8 days, ~24,000 cards have been de-activated, which will likely double by end of week. Credit cards were also addressed in the President’s 2/26/2025 Executive Order: https://whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-cost-efficiency-initiative/ Will report back again next week.” (DOGE X post)

Where You Fit In: Cutting a $3M contract for VA leadership training, alongside nearly $2B in other contracts, might raise questions about support services—but the focus on redirecting funds to veterans’ health and benefits is reassuring. Similarly, terminating a $215M HHS contract for an empty facility and boosting lease savings to $171M shows DOGE’s commitment to stopping waste, freeing up funds that could support community needs you care about. The credit card audit, deactivating 24,000+ cards worth $30B, targets administrative bloat, potentially benefiting taxpayers. It’s a chance for you to see DOGE’s work benefiting veterans, health programs, and your wallet, while keeping an eye on how these savings are used.

FEBRUARY 27, 2025 – DAY 39: OPM MODERNIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL CUTS

What Happened: DOGE celebrated OPM’s digital progress, canceled wasteful projects, and addressed agency software inefficiencies.

“US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled: – $60M for ‘Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment’ – $74M for ‘inclusive justice’ in Colombia – $79M for ‘primary literacy’ in Kenya – $37M for ‘female empowerment’ in Colombia – $8M to ‘Reduce stigma, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQI+ communities’ in Lesotho – $3.3M for ‘being LGBTQI in the Caribbean’ – $25k to increase ‘Vegan Local Climate Action Innovation’ in Zambia” (DOGE X post)
“Update on the mine! OPM has successfully executed the first ever fully digital retirement. The process took 2 days and more work is needed, but this is a great improvement from the current paper solution taking multiple months. Great job by the @USOPM team.” (DOGE X post)
“In 2023, @USOPM took out a $6M loan (Technology Modernization Fund) to convert the http://opm.gov website to a new platform. After spending $5M, it is nowhere near complete and, if it was finished, would cost $400k/year to host (current OPM website hosting cost is <$1k/year). OPM has cancelled the project and will give back the remaining funds.” (DOGE X post)
“Since this post, @USGSA took immediate action to reduce IT spend by deleting 114,163 unused software licenses & 15 underutilized / redundant software products — for a total annual savings of $9.6M.” (DOGE X post, referencing the February 24 post: “Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer). For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are: – 37,000 WinZip licenses – 19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple parallel training software platforms) – 7,500 project management software seats for a division with 5,500 employees – 3 different ticketing systems running in parallel Fixes are actively in work.”)

What’s at Play Here: Canceling $261.3M in international projects might prompt questions about global outreach, but it could free up funds for domestic priorities you value, like education or healthcare. OPM’s digital retirement breakthrough—cutting months to days—promises faster services, while canceling a $6M website overhaul saves $1M and keeps hosting costs low. GSA’s $9.6M software savings build on last week’s audit, showing DOGE’s follow-through. It’s a chance to see efficiency boosting local impact, with DOGE’s transparency keeping you informed.

FEBRUARY 28, 2025 – DAY 40: NIH GRANT CUTS

What Happened: DOGE reported NIH cancellations targeting specific research grants.

“Today NIH canceled grants for ~$10.9 million including: -$1.7M for the ‘China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study’ at Peking University in Beijing, China -$135K for a research grant to China Medical University in Shenyang, China -$142K for ‘using telehealth to improve access to gender-affirming care’ -$1.3M for ‘transforming health for gender-diverse young adults’ -$120K for ‘personalized 3-D avatar tool development’ focused on ‘gender identities’ -$400K for researching ‘sources of minority stress and alcohol consumption’ among ‘adults who report uncertainty about their sexual orientation’ -$160K for researching ‘racialized sexual discrimination’ among ‘young sexual minority men of color’ -$241K for ‘an intervention to promote healthy relationships among transgender and gender expansive youth’” (DOGE X post)

Why It’s Worth Watching: Cutting $10.9M in NIH grants, including international and diversity-focused studies, might raise questions about research priorities, but it targets projects with lower impact. Those savings could support broader health initiatives you care about, like rural clinics or mental health access. DOGE’s transparency lets you track where these funds go, easing any concerns about losing vital research.

MARCH 1, 2025 – DAY 41: CONTRACT CUTS HIT 3,000

What Happened: DOGE celebrated a milestone in contract terminations, focusing on non-essential projects.

“Yesterday, agencies cancelled 128 contracts for ~$60M of savings. Total terminations of wasteful contracts has now surpassed 3,000 since DOGE’s inception! This included a $3.5M consulting contract for ‘larval fish monitoring’ that ‘the Bureau of Reclamation identified as non-essential.’” (DOGE X post)

How This Could Unfold: Hitting 3,000 contract cuts, saving $60M more, shows DOGE’s momentum—projects like larval fish monitoring might seem niche, but redirecting those funds could bolster bigger needs, like clean water or education. It’s a chance to see DOGE’s efficiency drive benefiting your community, with their updates keeping you in the know.

MARCH 2, 2025 – DAY 42: SBA SOFTWARE AUDIT

What Happened: DOGE expanded their software audit to the Small Business Administration, revealing inefficiencies.

“The Small Business Admin. completed the same software audit. Initial findings: -10 software products with 10,000+ licenses. SBA has ~8,000 employees/contractors – 17,580 unused ServiceNow licenses costing over $2 million annually – Second year in a row spending $1.2 million on 7,000 unused Okta licenses – Paying for 1000 Slack licenses; only using 10” (DOGE X post, quoting the February 24 post: “Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer). For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are: – 37,000 WinZip licenses – 19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple parallel training software platforms) – 7,500 project management software seats for a division with 5,500 employees – 3 different ticketing systems running in parallel Fixes are actively in work.”)

A Reason to Stay Engaged: Finding thousands of unused licenses at the SBA, like 17,580 ServiceNow seats costing $2M yearly, might feel frustrating—but DOGE’s audit could save millions, redirecting funds to small business support you care about. Their consistent follow-through, building on GSA and DOL audits, shows they’re serious about efficiency, and your input via [doge.gov/tips] could guide their next steps.

FINDING YOUR FOOTING—WHAT YOU CAN DO

Week 6 shows DOGE zeroing in with precision—over $3.7B+ saved, all laid out on doge.gov. If you’re wondering how this fits with what you care about, like fair schools or health programs, here’s how to stay engaged:

Stay Informed: Follow @DOGE on X for real-time updates, and dive into doge.gov for the full story.
Connect: Chat with friends or online groups to share thoughts—DOGE’s tip line ([doge.gov/tips]) shows they’re listening.
Write Reps: Tell your officials what you want prioritized—your input counts.
Check Back: “DOGE Diaries” drops every Monday with no-nonsense updates.

A BIT OF REASSURANCE

From software licenses to international cuts, Week 6’s moves are about pinpointing waste, not slashing core services. DOGE’s transparency tools—like their website, leaderboard, and tip line—mean you’re not in the dark. Change can feel fast, but you’ve got a seat at the table. Stick with us—we’ve got your back as DOGE keeps pushing forward.

DOGE Diaries: Your Weekly Guide to Government Efficiency Updates

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