What's Up Doge?

Hey everyone – picking up right where my last DOGE update left off. As a mom of five in Austin, juggling kids, a full time job, podcasts, and watching every tax dollar, these DOGE wins feel personal. Less waste means more for roads, schools, and families like mine. Here’s the verified rundown from @DOGE posts and actions.

Dec 30–31: Fraud fight goes national

HHS froze all childcare payments to Minnesota after detailed allegations of massive fraud (billions potentially siphoned via fake daycares). They launched “Defend the Spend” – now every ACF payment nationwide requires receipts/justifications upfront. DOGE called it “simple and logical” and gave a huge shoutout to @nickshirleyy for his groundbreaking exposes that kicked this off. Nick’s dogged work uncovered what years of oversight missed – Nick and others are real citizen journalism saving taxpayer money.

Jan 3: Contract cuts accelerate

55 wasteful contracts terminated/descoped.

• Ceiling value: $1.6B
• Savings: $542M Standouts: $47M for armored carriers in Africa/Djibouti/Somalia, $19.5M HHS IT for web/social media support, $151k for a leadership course at Northwestern. Pure efficiency.

Jan 7–10: Pushback on fraud prevention

Blue states sued to block the receipt requirement. A judge temporarily halted it, but HHS/DOGE vowed to appeal and keep fighting. DOGE: “What are they afraid of?” Highlighted Biden-era loopholes that enabled no-verification billions in childcare funds.

Jan 10: Latest cuts

42 more contracts gone.

• Ceiling: $1.5B
• Savings: $269M Example: $1.2M DEI services for a “Gender and Social Inclusion Director.”

Big picture (doge.gov as of Jan 1)

Total estimated savings hit $215B across contracts, grants, leases, fraud deletion, and workforce streamlining.

Nick Shirley deserves massive credit here – his Minnesota video exposed a web of fraud that sparked federal freezes, audits, and national policy shifts. Fearless work holding power accountable.

These moves aren’t abstract dreams; they’re engineering-level AI optimization applied to government. Cut the bloat, demand proof, deliver results. Promises kept.

I track @DOGE for real-time updates. Onward to more savings! 🇺🇸