Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to have saved $160 billion through its efforts to root out wasteful government spending, but a new analysis by the Partnership for Public Service estimates that taxpayers will pay an additional $135 billion this fiscal year.
The analysis, conducted by the PSP, found that DOGE’s actions have resulted in tens of thousands of federal employees being put on paid leave, re-hiring mistakenly fired workers, and lost productivity. The estimated costs include:
* $270 billion annual compensation costs for the federal workforce
* $135 billion loss due to DOGE’s actions, excluding lawsuit expenses and lost tax collections
* Estimated economic losses from reduced funding of health and science research
Despite Musk’s claims of significant savings, experts say that his goal of shrinking government spending by $2 trillion is unlikely without cutting major programs like Social Security and Medicare. The White House has taken issue with the analysis, labeling it as “lies” peddled by the media.
Musk will continue to work on DOGE until May, but acknowledges that the effort may ultimately cost taxpayers more in the long run.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-cuts-cost-135-billion-analysis-elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency