In this post, Ben Brunjes, a professor of Public Policy at the University of Washington, reviews DOGE’s spending cuts. DOGE claims $68.2 billion in savings from terminated contracts and grants. This number represents 72 percent of the total amount DOGE claims to have cut from federal spending. But Professor Brunjes also notes that from 2017-2024, USAID averaged about $18.8 billion per year in grant and contract spending. Thus, DOGE is essentially claiming it has cut four years of USAID spending in two months. Professor Brunjes thinks DOGE’s numbers are questionable.
