I’ve been following and writing about DOGE since the first week. The speed of progress has increased, and, the team at DOGE has also grown from the early days. I loved this comment in an interview with Jennica Pounds, who runs the account on X “Data Republican.”
“Every DOGE person I’ve interacted with treats this as an existential threat and is putting in hundred-hour weeks to achieve DOGE objectives. They are sharp, data-driven, and fully aware that the U.S. is on an unsustainable trajectory. They see this as a final opportunity to course-correct before the situation becomes irreversible.
The challenge is getting the rest of the elected officials to recognize the urgency and align with DOGE.”
Yes, with this one chance to correct the course of America, DOGE has to work fast. I see smart delegation as a key to DOGE’s success. With DOGE allowing each US government agency to have an account on X where the public can report inefficiencies, there will be hundreds of submissions from people with passion for fixing our government. Looking on X, here is just a few of the accounts, all affiliates of DOGE.
Illegal Migrant Welcome Centers Cost $5 to $30 Mil/month
Yes, American tax money were being used to the tune of up to $30 Mil/month to build, maintain and operate illegal migrant welcome centers.
DOGE: Strong Immigration Policies Save Taxpayers Money Through a Ripple Effect
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun dismantling several soft-sided facilities along the southwest border that were used to process illegal migrants under the Biden administration. Thanks to strong immigration policies under President Trump—and a big assist from Elon Musk’s relentless drive for efficiency—American taxpayers are now saving an estimated $5 million to $30 million per month for each facility closed.
That’s a massive chunk of money—proof that stopping illegal immigration lightens the financial load on everyday Americans while also creating a ripple effect of savings that strengthens national security by default.
In February alone, illegal immigrant apprehensions dropped to just 330 per day—the lowest in CBP history. With crossings at an all-time low, these temporary processing facilities sat empty, their staff twiddling their thumbs. Acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores put it plainly: “Due to the unprecedented drop in apprehensions of illegal aliens, CBP is reducing the number of temporary soft-sided processing facilities. CBP no longer has a need for these as illegal aliens are being quickly removed.” Permanent facilities are still in operation and more than capable of handling detentions. Meanwhile, the millions of dollars and paid contracts once sunk into these soft-sided facilities are being redirected to higher priorities, speeding up efforts to lock down the border.
As of this article’s date, CBP has started closing facilities in Donna, North Eagle Pass, and Laredo, Texas, and in Yuma and Tucson, Arizona. I’ve personally visited and reported on the Eagle Pass, Texas border crossing.
Each closure triggers a ripple effect: no more cash wasted on contacts, maintenance, staffing, or illegal migrant concierge services. This efficiency pays off, at last!
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spotlighted the broader impact, reporting that 21 contracts tied to border operations—with a total ceiling value of $4.3 billion—have been scaled back, saving taxpayers a whopping $600 million. That’s $600 million that doesn’t need to be pulled from your wallet, all because strong policies slashed the need for bloated infrastructure.
Agents once stuck babysitting these facilities can now return to their real job: patrolling the border and nabbing violators. Securing the border doesn’t cost more—it costs less. None of this would’ve happened without Elon’s influence, steering DOGE to spotlight inefficiencies.
When illegal immigration dries up, the savings ripple out, freeing up funds and manpower to make America safer and more prosperous. This is what happens when leadership prioritizes results over handouts.
Now, let’s get into this last weeks of DOGE updates!
MARCH 17, 2025 – DAY 57: Optimizing Systems, Cutting Waste
On March 17, 2025—Day 57 of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) operations, Week Nine—the @DOGE X account logged four updates in PDT, targeting inefficiency and governance friction.
At 18:12, DOGE reported CBP and Secretary Noem axing 21 contracts (ceiling: ~$4.3B), netting $600M in savings—likely tied to border ops optimization. By 18:16, a broader cull of 44 contracts (ceiling: ~$5.2B) saved $640M, spotlighting cuts like a $465K DoD landscaping deal and a $2.85M HHS digital comms contract—low-hanging fruit in budget rationalization.
At 18:38, a USIP access standoff saw Mr. Moose block acting president Kenneth Jackson, resolved via D.C. Police intervention. Moose’s overreach flagged governance entropy DOGE aims to suppress. Late at 23:25, the Social Security Administration flagged 3.2M numberholders aged 120+ as deceased, a data integrity sweep with fraud mitigation upside—work continues.
Day 57 yielded >$1.2B in savings, tackled institutional resistance, and advanced systemic cleanup. DOGE’s signal-to-noise ratio remains high.
MARCH 18, 2025 – DAY 58: Trimming Fat, Breaking Silos
On March 18, 2025—Day 58 of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) run, within Week Nine—the @DOGE X account dropped two late evening updates, targeting wasteful spending and structural inefficiencies.
At 23:17, (Pacific Time) DOGE reported 47 contracts axed (ceiling: $185M), saving $90M. Standouts: a $3.1M “healthy relationships social media” flop and a $3.5M IT consulting grab—both scrapped, signaling a purge of low-value overhead. Then, at 23:34, the Department of the Interior’s Federal Consulting Group (FCG) got the axe. FCG’s sins: brokering a $75M website survey contract and eyeing an $830M deal—classic inter-agency bloat now flatlined.
Day 58 delivered $90M in direct savings and dismantled a costly middleman, proving DOGE’s knack for hitting inefficiencies hard and fast.
March 19 and 20, 2025 – Days 59 and 60: DOGE Continues with more Efficiancy
March 19, 2025, 12:42 PM PDT (2:42 PM CDT in Texas): Post: “Great partnership with Lee Zeldin of the EPA.
Explanation: This post celebrates a powerful collaboration between DOGE, Lee Zeldin (referenceand the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It highlights the EPA’s decision, under DOGE’s influence, to cancel $1.7 billion in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) grants, redirecting those funds to more essential government functions. This move reflects Elon Musk’s vision of prioritizing efficiency and cutting wasteful spending, as reported by Fox Business, showcasing a major win for taxpayers.
- March 20, 2025, 20:06 PM PDT (10:06 PM CDT in Texas): Post: “This post is inaccurate. @SocialSecurity is not closing any field sites in Georgia or elsewhere. The confusion likely arises from the closure of 5 permanent remote hearing sites (PRSs)—single rooms within field sites used for hearings. Since most hearings are now virtual, these [are no longer needed].” Explanation: DOGE used this post to swiftly correct some lies that were being spread about the Social Security Administration (SSA), clarifying that no field sites are closing—only five small, underused remote hearing rooms (PRSs) within existing sites, now obsolete due to virtual hearings. This transparency, driven by Elon Musk’s commitment to open communication, builds public trust and seeks to halt unnecessary alarm.
- March 20, 2025, 20:57 PM PDT (10:57 PM CDT in Texas): Post: “Contract update! Today, agencies terminated 105 contracts with a ceiling value of $935M and $580M in savings, including a $1.03M National Science Foundation consulting contract for ‘fitness center services’.” Explanation: This update showcases DOGE’s aggressive approach to eliminating wasteful spending, announcing the termination of 105 federal contracts worth $935 million, saving taxpayers $580 million. A standout example is an absurd $1.03 million National Science Foundation contract for non-essential “fitness center services,” a clear target for DOGE’s efficiency drive under Elon Musk’s leadership.
Sam Corcos’s Revelations on IRS Efficiency (Day 60, March 20, 2025)
DOGE staffer Sam Corcos, special adviser to the U.S. Treasury, made history on March 20, 2025 (Day 60), publicly unveiling DOGE’s mission to fix the IRS’s outdated infrastructure. His key points, in his own words:
- Outdated Systems: “I really care a lot about this country, and this is a huge program that is currently 30 years behind schedule and it’s already $15 billion over budget. The IRS has some pretty legacy infrastructure—it’s actually very similar to what banks have been using. It’s old mainframes running COBOL and assembly. The challenge has been, how do we migrate that to a modern system. Virtually every bank has already done this, but we’re still using a lot of those same systems. Typically, in the industry this takes a few years, maybe a few hundred million dollars, and we’re now 35 years into this program.”
- Bloated IT: “A typical midsize bank will have somewhere between 1 and 200 people in IT and they have an operations and maintenance budget in like the $20 million a year range. We have 8,000 people in IT, and our operations and maintenance budget is $3.5 billion a year. I don’t really know why yet. I will tell you that 80% of that budget goes to contractors and licenses—we cannot perform the basic functions of tax collection without paying a toll to all these contractors.”
- Modernization Failure: “We have a $3.5 billion operations maintenance budget. We have a $3.7 billion modernization effort within it. That’s a lot of budget and way beyond any reasonable cost for what you would expect at a private company for this.”
- Wasteful Contracts: “You find contracts that are 10, 20, 30, $50 million and you just ask, why are we doing this? And everyone’s just like, meh, I don’t know. And then you cancel it and then nothing happens. It’s just inertia, has just taken over.”
March 21, 2025: Day 61 – DOGE’s Relentless Push for Reform
On March 21, 2025, DOGE continued its momentum with four impactful updates, further demonstrating its commitment to efficiency and transparency under Elon’s leadership. Here’s what they shared:
March 21, 2025, 8:25 AM CT (6:25 AM PDT):
Post: “There is a pattern across all agencies where IT ‘modernization’ contracts do not pay for outcomes/performance; instead, they pay for time. Therefore, the incentive is for contractors to ‘never finish,’ resulting in incredible waste. As an example, IRS modernization started in 1990 to be delivered in 1996. Today, the work is not complete and the contractors say it’s still 5 years away. 29 years behind schedule and ~$15b over budget. Everyone loses, except the government contractors. This must change. This week, the IRS froze ~$1.5B in modernization contracts, none of which have any effect on tax filings. All of those contracts will then either be cancelled or the contract terms will be changed to pay-for-performance.”
Explanation: DOGE exposed a systemic flaw in federal IT contracts, where payment for time rather than results incentivizes delays, as seen in the IRS modernization program—29 years late and $15 billion over budget. The IRS’s freeze of $1.5 billion in contracts, with plans to cancel or shift to pay-for-performance terms, ensures taxpayer money isn’t wasted on endless delays. Watch the video here.
March 21, 2025, 8:28 AM CT (6:28 AM PDT):
Post: “The IRS has the transaction volume of a mid-sized bank, running similar infrastructure. Those banks typically have an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) budget of ~$20M/yr. The IRS has a ~$3.5B O&M budget (which doesn’t include an additional $3.7B modernization budget). ~80% of that O&M budget goes to contractors.”
Explanation: DOGE highlighted the IRS’s bloated $3.5 billion O&M budget—175 times larger than a mid-sized bank’s for similar work—with 80% going to contractors. This inefficiency, alongside a $3.7 billion modernization budget, underscores the need for reform, which DOGE is tackling head-on.
March 21, 2025 (Repost, Time Not Specified):
Repost from Gov. Ron DeSantis: “For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration—but they couldn’t even figure out how to accept it. Today, I met with @elonmusk and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day. Other states should follow Florida in supporting DOGE’s efforts!”
Explanation: DOGE reposted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s praise for their swift action in facilitating the return of $878 million in federal funds, previously stalled by bureaucratic inefficiencies under the Biden Administration. This collaboration with Elon Musk and DOGE showcases their ability to cut through red tape, setting a model for other states.
March 21, 2025, 10:19 PM CT (8:19 PM PDT):
Post: “Good work by @NASA this week: -Eliminated their unused Purchasing Cards (~80%) -Terminated ~$420M in unneeded contracts, including $45M ($15M each) to three separate consultants, all for ‘Change Management Support Services’.”
Explanation: DOGE commended NASA for cutting 80% of unused Purchasing Cards and terminating $420 million in unneeded contracts, including $45 million for redundant “Change Management Support Services” ($15 million each to three consultants). Personal Take: Excellent. All these millions add up to billions. $45M for “Change Management Support Services”—no longer needed. DOGE solves this!
March 22, 2025: Day 62 – Cutting Waste and Prioritizing America
On March 22, 2025, DOGE continued its relentless pursuit of efficiency with two significant updates, showcasing its impact across agencies and its focus on redirecting funds to American priorities under Elon’s leadership:
- March 22, 2025, 12:52 AM CT (10:52 PM PDT on March 21): Post: “Great work Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Over $580M in wasteful contracts and grants terminated this week, including an HR IT development program called DCHRMS that is $280 million (780%) over budget and 5 years behind schedule, with at least 2 more years to go.” Quoted Post from Pete Hegseth: “DOGE and Elon Musk just found another $580M in wasteful spending?! In less than a month, that’s nearly $800M found so far….. More to come!” Explanation: DOGE praised Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for terminating $580 million in wasteful contracts, including the DCHRMS HR IT program, which was $280 million (780%) over budget and 5 years late, with 2 more years projected. Hegseth’s quoted post highlights DOGE’s rapid progress, noting nearly $800 million in savings in under a month, with more to come, reflecting Elon Musk’s efficiency-driven leadership.
- March 22, 2025 (Repost, Time Not Specified): Repost from US Dept of Labor: “The US Dept of Labor was funding over $38 MILLION in America Last programs, including millions for ‘enhancing transparency’ in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. But not anymore. We will reinvest your tax dollars back in the American workforce!” See the post here. Explanation: DOGE reposted a US Dept of Labor update, highlighting the termination of $38 million in “America Last” programs, including funds for Uzbekistan’s cotton industry transparency. This move ensures tax dollars are reinvested in the American workforce, aligning with DOGE’s mission to prioritize domestic needs under Elon Musk’s guidance.
March 23, 2025: Day 63 – Streamlining HR Systems
On March 23, 2025, DOGE shared a critical update on federal HR inefficiencies, launching pilot projects to address systemic issues under Elon Musk’s leadership:
- March 23, 2025 (Time Not Specified):
Post: “Core HR systems (onboarding, job histories, org chart, benefits, etc.) are not consolidated in the federal workforce. From a March 2025 @USGSA survey of 29 agencies, there are 111 instances of 59 unique HR software products offered by 19 commercial vendors and 11 federal ‘vendors’. Price per employee for these systems are 3-10x higher than in private industry. And the majority of said systems do not allow the agencies to easily create or view a basic org chart. DOGE and agencies are working to fix, with pilot projects starting this week.”
Explanation: DOGE revealed that federal HR systems are fragmented, with 29 agencies using 111 instances of 59 unique HR software products—costing 3-10 times more per employee than in the private sector and often unable to produce basic org charts. DOGE’s pilot projects, launched this week, aim to consolidate and modernize these systems, saving costs and improving efficiency.
Tax Dollars Working Smarter, Thanks to DOGE
DOGE’s actions in Week 9 (Days 57 to 63) ensure tax dollars are used efficiently. Terminations totaling $1.7 billion in DEI grants, $580 million in contracts (March 20), $420 million from NASA, another $580 million from the Dept of Defense, $38 million in “America Last” programs, and the IRS’s $1.5 billion contract freeze redirect funds to priorities like infrastructure and the American workforce. HR system consolidation (March 23) targets costs 3-10 times higher than private industry.
Corcos’s IRS exposé—$15 billion overrun, $3.5 billion O&M budget—shows the scale of waste DOGE is tackling, potentially saving billions more. Transparency, as seen in SSA clarifications and DeSantis’s collaboration, ensures accountability. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, DOGE is proving government can operate with tech-giant precision.
Conclusion
During Week 9, DOGE exposed inefficiencies, terminated wasteful spending, and launched reforms, saving billions and redirecting taxpayer funds to critical needs. With Elon Musk at the helm, DOGE is driving a new era of government efficiency, delivering measurable results for Americans.
THE DOGE DIARIES WEEK NINE
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