Let’s debunk some myths

Absolutely. It’s a universal truth that there is considerable waste in the Federal Government due to its scale and complexity. Systematic problems like imperfect data when making decisions, political interference, lack of oversight, complicated regulations, high administrative costs, etc., are key reasons for this waste. And yes, there is also not a lot of motivation for Federal employees to focus on cutting waste when there are competing priorities and a lack of support from Policymakers. However, this waste is not intentionally caused by Federal employees as it’s being portrayed.

Yes and No. Federal employees cannot directly engage in fraud, nor can they steal taxpayer money. Every action taken by an employee is documented, prescribed, and audited. It is, therefore, unreasonable to suggest that federal employees are engaged in fraud. However, fraud and abuse are significant issues in federal programs such as Medicare, the Paycheck Protection Program, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Social Security. Addressing fraud in these programs requires complex solutions, administrative priorities, and, in some cases, legislative action by Congress. Each year, inspector generals and dedicated federal employees actively work to identify and prevent fraud, but their efforts are often hindered by agency heads who are political appointees and by budget constraints imposed by Congress.

Let’s break this down before answering Yes or No.

1. Their numbers contain many errors. For example, in one instance, they accounted for a $8M contract as $8B.
2. When the government issues a contract, it’s just an agreement for a duration of 3 to 5 years, with an intention to spend a certain amount each year. This does not guarantee that the entire amount will actually be spent. However, DOGE is recording the paper value of the 5-year contract as if it were spent in just one year, even if no funds are actually spent at all.
3. They also added the contracts that were actually canceled last year during previous Administration but updates did not make it to all the databases.
4. DOGE canceled programs like DEI to save funds. These programs were priorities of the previous administration, elected by the American public. The new administration’s different goals do not render the previous actions fraudulent, as federal employees were simply implementing the previous administration’s objectives.
5. DOGE also discontinued several important programs and contracts at various federal agencies without fully understanding the significance and impact of those decisions. This is similar to turning off the electricity in your home to score some points immediately, rather than reviewing all recurring expenses to determine what should be cut.

Based on the observations above, DOGE may have found some genuine savings, but those estimated savings would be much lower.

No. Attempts to reduce waste and fraud in the federal government have been ongoing for decades, with various administrations implementing different strategies. Few examples:

• The Reagan Administration created the Grace Commission in 1982, which produced over 2,000 recommendations for reducing government waste. And formed the Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) to improve auditing and investigative techniques.
• The Clinton Administration led the Council on Integrity and Government Efficiency (CIGE) to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.
• The Obama Administration launched the Campaign to Cut Waste in 2011
• The Trump Administration, during the first term, continued efforts to reduce improper payments and fraud across federal agencies.

There is no evidence to support this statement. In fact, studies indicate that the work patterns and productivity of federal employees are generally comparable to those in the private sector. Like any large organization, there will be a certain percentage of low-performing workers, which research estimates to be around 18%. However, this does not justify labeling the entire federal workforce as lazy.

No. The federal government is probably a gold standard for transparency. In 2007, it launched USASpending.gov to show the public how federal funds are spent each year. This site allows users to track money from congressional appropriations to local communities and businesses. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in operation for over 100 years, oversees federal spending and operations, highlighting successes and areas for improvement. Each year, the GAO publishes hundreds of reports for Congress to enhance government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars.

That is not true. Federal employees do not receive paychecks automatically without being present at work. They must submit their timesheets each week to log their hours. Additionally, they provide status reports to their supervisors in various forms, including written updates or verbal summaries during staff meetings. Most employees also give daily direction to the contractor teams they collaborate with. Like any large organization, there may be a few outliers who are not performing at full capacity, but this is not representative of the overall workforce.